EXPERT'S "EASY MONEY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 236, 24 June 1918, Page 4

EXPERT'S "EASY MONEY"

' WAR OFFICE'S LOOSE FINANCE. Many instances of serious less to the country dueto tho muddled finance aud business of the Army authorities are disclosed in the report of the Comptroller' and Auditor-General on the Army Appropriation Account for 1916-17. In July, 1916, the War Office began negotiations with an expert for contract work. The expert—as usual in official reports of this .kind no name is givenwanted (i commission up to .£IO,OOO a year minimum on British orders and >an equal amount on Allied Government orders, A lower rate was suggested, but before an agreement was come to the expert was appointed, and eight months later,- when, "in the public interest," tho arrangement was terminated, the expert demanded the maximum he had suggested for a full year, and on legal advice the clajm was paid. Two cases are disclosed of contractors for old Army clothing who not only denied receipt of, and refused to pay for, stores sent to them by Army, unite, but also claimed refunds in respect of stores which they said they had paid for but which .had not been delivered. In the end the War Office obtained <£7000 from one contractor and paid .£24,000 to the other—,£l6,ooo for breaches of contract and .£BOOO for stores paid for but not delivered.

, Irrecoverable is a £3U 7s. lid. "deficit on the account of .a company of a. service battalion since disbanded brought to "light when the command was transferred. While awaiting trial by courtmartial for theft of public money the former. commanding officer escaped and has not eince been heard of. He has been removed from the Army." The Ministry of, Munitions lent motorlorries to contractors at a rate lower than that charged to the War Office.