HOME SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 9

HOME SERVICE

SERIOUS ANOMALIES OVER-WORMED AND OVER-PAID PAYMENT FOR RANK INSTEAD OF SERVICE. ".Most regular soldiers seem to think that all men doing military service, whether directly or indirectly, should wear uniform, mid in their minds the terms 'military , and 'millinery' becomo naturally ami closely associated," slates the report ol the Defence Commission. "They have the idea that better discipline and therefore nioro efficient service aro thereby secured. Tharo is grave doubt about service rendered in uniform 'being more eihciejit, but none whatever about it being more costly. To begin with, n soldier is paid for seven (lays of the week and ho ha;; all sorts of allowances not made to a civilian. On the other hind the soldier receives nothing for overtime. Putting men engaged as clerks into uniform gives the men and the public the idea that they aro soldiers. Kif'icr they are soldiers or they arc not. If they an they should be drilled at least sufficiently to give them the rudimentary ideas of a soldier's duties and obligations, but as clerks this would seem to bo a waste of lime nnrt hardly necessary to their full clerical efficiency. IT it is not considered necessary lo do Ihis for clerks, why put. them into uniform at all? It. is"immaterial to a good clerk's value- whether or not his top button is open or whether he can, and docs, enluto certain persons senior to him. beginning at an arbitrary line of remuneration or rank. "There jiro many men doing purely clerical work in uniform in the Deparluiont of Defence drawing as soldiers infinitely more than they would -Ik paid as civilians. A reasonably competent clerk, alter years of service nnd csperienco in a civil occupation—say, a bank or a warehouse, or even in another Government Department—with a wife and two children, draws £i a week; but as such would get per day'Bs. for pay, 4s. in lieu of quarters and rations, Is. for his wife, and M. for each of his two children, making in all Us. Cd. a day lor seven days— £s Is. Gd. a week. Ho would also receive a full supply of uniform from head to heel, under and outer, to save him at least ss. a week. So he would enjoy an increase, of ,£'l 6s. Gd. a week over what ho would earn in a civil capacity, without benefit of any kind whatever to the State. Ho has, too, otlwr advantages, such as free medical attendance for himself, and would be allowed more timo otf for sick leave than under the Public Service Regulations. "But most curious were instances ol men who either volunteered or were called up for military service and, on being declared unlit for active service, went into uniform and received moro than they were getting for better and moro valuable work in their civil employment. In »>iio case a man who in his civil occupition drew ,tf) a week was serving in a purely clerical capacity in a branch of the Defence Department as a regimental eergoant-inajor, drawing for himself, his wife, and three children, .£297 a year, plus clothing and medical attendance for himself—double- the remuneration received by him in his civil occupation. On tho other hand, it is fair to say, we came across men who,, inspired by fine desire to 'do their bit, , surrendered their comfortable jobs to do war work at onehalf what they received in civil life. "Then again, if a man returns from the y.-ar and docs further worjt on home service ha is liik'jn on at the pay ol his rank, irrespective of his qualifications for tho new wnrli Orlain branches of the Defence Dop;*.hneut seem hard up for clerks, and nro inclined to take what comes along; but there are 100 many cases there of persons being taken on at higher pay than they had beau receiving in other Departments of tho Public Service, from which they had resigned, and, in some cases, had even been dismissed. A returned soldiei who lias served as a sergeant-major in Hie field abroad, because he is a sergeantmajor, although employed as a clerk in some quite unimportnnt capacity, receive;: tho pay and allowances of a "ergeantuiajor. J'hi.i rule applies equally to commissioned ranks; and we saw several instances of men drawing the pay and allowances of a major doing quite unimportant, work, which would be well paid at tho remuneration of a lieutenant. The only reason ono could got was: 'i'ay for rank. , ' "But this system presents othc- comical aspects. The position of Director of Recriiiting, for instance, entails considerable work ami responsibility, but because the officer holding that appointment ranks in the Army as captain he. receives capliiin's pay. ' Hut the Deputy-Director of Base Records, who has infinitely less reresponsibility and anxiety, being « major, draws a major's pay; and tho Director of Personal Services, and even his assistant, whoso work, according to their titles, would be a good subject for a guessing competition, both being majors, draw major's pay and allowances, with mfiiiilely less responsibility anil i-nxielj , than those of tho Director of Recruiting, a captain. "That thero is no necessity lo put men into uniform is evidenced by tho fact that in tho clerical departments there aro some clerks in mufti and ninny women employed; and, in tact, in many branches the w'ork of a woman compares most favourably with that of a man. The average- pay per woman employed in the Defence Department is less than £\W per annum; tho least that a single man ranking ns a private can get is ; a _3s. a' week, plus uniform and iree medical attendance; but there are very few clerks, of tho rank of private and unmarried, and with the acquirement of a wife and rank remuneration 'handsomely in-