OFFICERS' ALLOWANCES

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

OFFICERS' ALLOWANCES

SOME GLARING ANOMALIES

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION BRITISH ARMY PRECEDENT, CHANGES RECOMMENDED The pay and allowances, and especially the "allowances," to officers on duty in camps and in headquarters and district officers is discussed as follows in the report of the Defence Expenditure Commission ;— "This is a most complicated matter, the differential rates and the seeming anomalies in practice being extraordinary. We were constantly met with cases of lieutenants drawing larger incomes than captains; captains more than majors, and even liuutonant-colonels; majors more than colonels; and camp commandants 'received, more than their superior officer; lrhilo the money received by non-commiesioned officers sometimes exceeded that paid' to commissioned officers. "Though tho scale of pny us originally laid down for all ranks proceeded on a definitely graduated basis, the above vagaries arose chietly out of tho system of allowances that have been introduced from time to time. In the case of subalterns, non-commissioned officers, and men this was accentuated by the wife's separation and children's allowances that have gradually, been enlarged until they represent very heavy additions to the wagee-cost of men employed as soldiers; but we will refer to these more particularly in another placo. "Tho allowances to officers, which represent in some cases as much as 125 per cent, of their pay, and which in the camps oven average CO per cent, additional to pay, comprise professional pay, field service allowance, adjutant's allowance, groomage allowance, mess maintenance allowance, and rations. Somo of these vary according to an officer's rank, and help to add to the general complication wJien viewed on a schedule. A Sort of Merit. "We are at some loss to olearly understand how> this condition of affairs has arisen, but are forced to the conclusion that it is a reflection of precedent in tho British Army, where pay for officers was notoriously bud and quite inadequate to sustain a poor man; hence, additions crept in from time to time in the guise of allowances. These seem to have been discovered, and more or less ingeniously introduced iu New, Zealand one by one as opportunity has occurred. In fact, ono officer remarked that in certain quarters the man who discovers a new itilowauce is regarded as entitled to merit, just as the chef who invents a Jiew sauce, or the German who produces a new sausage. Allowances and Pay, "The annual total salaries to all officers at present employed in New Zealand is ,£110,139, while allowances add a further .£38,239 to their income; so that the percentage which allowances bear to pay is 81.7, which is striking enough. But when you come to analyse it, it is found that officers on camp staffs draw approximately— ■ £ In pay 52,500 In allowances 31,300 In all 83,800 and thus the percentage which allowances bear to pay is actually 59.6. "Officers employed outside of camps draw approximately— £ In pay , 57,600 In allowances G,900 In all 61,500 In their case the percentage which allowances bear to puy.is 12. "Tho allowances are .split up as follow:— £ Professional pay , n,206

Adjutants' pay 865 Field allowance _ , 11,51.') Groomage allowance. .'. 1,093 Ration allowanco to men living out of camp 7,151 Oc.'t of rations issued to officers' messes 4.02U Officers' mess maintenance allowance : 2,883 Total 38,23!) What Payments Are Made, "Lot us discuss these allowances a little. "Professional pay is the grant of 10s. per day, or ,£!S2 10s. per year, received by medical and dental officers, in addition, of course, to their pay of rank and tho further military allowances received by combatant officers. "Adjutants' pay of ss. per day, or ,£9l ss. per year, describes itself, but if: appears also to apply to bai=o cashiers who happen to bo below the rank of captain. "Field allowance according to rank is granted in aid of expenses caused by active field service, living under canvas or in bivouac, or in war-shelters, temporary hutments, or quarters equipped according to the scales for officers' tents in standing camps. Strictly, none of these conditions can be interpreted to apply to military tumps like Trentham and Featherston. Tho regulations eay that field allowance will not be paid during voyages from or to New Zealand, but will bo issued for the whple. remaining period while abroad, and we'are taking the view that existing conditions in New Zealand do not now call for payment of field allowance before reinforcements sail. "Groomage, at Is. Gd. per day, or .£27 "s. Gd. per year, is payable to mounted officers in camp, and to sundry Territorials whose duties call for a horse, but only to other officers in camp when a horse is on issue to them. This groomfi.se allowance is not for forage or keep of the horse, but, presumably, for attendiug to tho animal and cleaning tho saddlery, which, however, is part and parcel of the routine of grooms who are provided by the State. "Rations allowance represents 2s. per day granted to officers who can arrange to live out of camp instead of with tho usual officers' mess. Rations issued to officers' mess is, as tho name 6nggeete, the standard issue of food that can lv obtained from tho Army, Service Corps, and which at present costs the Dopartnient rather less than 2s. per day. "Mess maintenance allowanco is 2s. per day per Staff officer, paid to a fund by tho Defence Department for maintenance of tho equipment of Camp Headquarters Staff officers' mess and common sitting-room. "Another allowance is the sea allowance of 2s. 6d. per day made to officers while travailing on board ship. "Batmen provided for officers are still another form of allowance, which cannot lie so easily reduced to cash terms, but is none the less a liability of the State, which costs a very considerable sum. Senior mounted officers aro allowed two batmen; colonels and majors iE camp, not mounted, liavo one; and for officers of lower rank, one batman often attends to the cubicles, clothes, and trappings of two or three. Staff officers out of camp do not appear to have any batmen, or allowance iu lieu of that perquisite. f "Only the rations allowance has a general application to all officers on pay. Outside of the camps it is Teceived alike by the wholo commissioned Staff at General Headquarters, and by district, group, area, inedieal, recruiting, and all other officers on regular duty, all of whom receive a flat-rale cash payment of 2s. per day, or .£36 10s. per year, in lien of rations. > An Interesting Comparison. "The following comparison of incomes will illustrate how this question of allowances operates. Pay is supposed to start strictly according to rank:— At Headquarters or in Districts. & 6. d. Colonel Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff 80S 10 0 Colonel Tate, Adjutant-Gen-eral 786 10 0 Colonel Chnffcy, Officer Commanding District 7SG 10 0 Lieut.-C'ol. Hunter, Director Dentul Services ; C 75 5 0 *Lieut.-Col. Sleeman, Director Military Training 536 10 0 *Major Andrews, Assistant Ad-jutant-General 511 10 0

*Major Nutsford, Director Movements and Quartering 511 10 0 *Major Wnllingford, attached General Staff 48G 10 0 Major Ostler, Director Supplies mid Transport -iS6 10 0 Major Osburne-J.illy, Director Personal Services 4SG 10 0 *Capt. Bryan, Assistant Military Secretary 386 10 0 *Capt. Cross, Director of Organisation 381) 10 0 Captain Cossgrove, Director of Recruiting 386 10 0 *C,ipt. Gibhs, Quartermaster ..- 356 10 0 Capt. Rockstrow, attached General Stuff 355 17 fi *Lieut. Jervis, attached Headquarters 311 10 0 *Lieut. Wilson, attached Headquarters 255 10 0 Lieutenants, Area Officers 25" 10 0 In Training Camps. £ 6. d. Colonel C. R. Macdonald, Chief Instructor 911 12 6 Colonel Adams, Camp Commandant BS2 2 6 Colonel Potter, Camp Commandant' 891 12 6 Major Hursthouse, Principal Dental Officer 720 10 0 *Lieut.-Col. Neave, Infantry Instructor 6GG 12 6 Major Sweetzer, Camp Adj't. 66(i 2 6 Mnjor Newcomb, Camp Adj't. 656 12 6 *Jlajor Lampen, Instructor, Camp 641 12 fi (.Capt. Carvosso. Supply Officer 511 0 0 ■j Major Banks, Quartermaster . 611 12 6 (*Capt. Isbister, "Supply Officer 501 10 0 Major Eydor, O.C. Canvas Camp 538 0 0 Captain Luckhnm, Assistant Adjutant 574 17 6 Capt. "Silcock, Assistant Adjutant 574 17 6 Lieut. Baldwin, Ordnance Officer -130 2 6 Capt. Cheater, Instructor 511 5 0 Capt. Purdon, Instructor '529 15 0 Lieut. Barlow, Quartermaster 414 5 0 Lieut. M'Dowell, Assistant Supply Officer 361 12 fi (Lieut. Bale, Instructor 395 12'6 ■j *Lieut. Baker, Instructor 405 2 («> (j.ieiitM'iVnir, Ordnance Officer 402 15 0 Lieutenant M'Nair, whsn in camp, drew: Pay,, J275; allowances, £\il 155.; total emolument, .£402 15s. Since the return was compiled he has been promoted to captain and transferred to a district. Ho now draws .£386 10s. 'Indicates active service in the present war. "Such is (he existing position of officers' pay and allowances. "It is a matter of historv that since May, 1916, the Adjutant-General has several times attacked pay and allowances to officers on camp staffs, and the evidence was interesting as showing how matters could be delayed and side-track-ed for ono reason or another until on November 23, 1917, _the question of the Adjutant-General's jurisdiction in respect to pay and allowances was definitely ' decided. "On February 5, 1918, the AdjutautGoner.il recommended the abolition of field allowance and groomage. Recommendations, "As your Commissioners, we now feel bound to offer the following recommendations:— "The only change in pay of rank for officers which we think necessary is fo increase the pay of lieutenants on Staff work, retained on service in New Zealand, from 12s. to 13s. Bd, per day—say, to i'2so per year, which, with #36 10s. rntions allowance, equals ,£2BO 10s. Pay of rank for lieutenant in the Expeditionary Force may approximately remain at .£219, the present rato, as tho flat rato of field service allowance («G9l 55.) which we are proposing will increase his allowance by .£36 10s., making his income .£3lO, while the wife's separation allowance of £51 15s. still further Wtters his position. "Concerning allowances, we say that field-service allowance and groomage should be cancelled in the permanent training camps in New Zealand. We think that mess maintenance allowance ,of 2a. per day should be cancelled while 'our officers are abroad, bni that if: should be cnlled 'camp allowance/ and be paid in our New Zealand military wimps for all officers. Staff and Expeditionary, who live at the ordinary oamp messes and who might reasonably expect some ad--'ditional comfort when located long in one place. • "Wo recommend that, as tho disabilities of active ecrvica are inn ill the same

fo: r colonel and lieutenant, both should ha;o the came rule of as. per day, or .£lll as. per year, as field allowance, starting immediately they land at choir destination outside 'of Sew 'Zealand. "As far back as October, 1915, it was ordered that certain adjutants should not bu entitled to any extra pay for Hi oir duties, and wo think adjutants" pay, and cny such .allowances, should now cca.se entirely, the extra responeibility being met by ihe'improved status tint usually accrues to any officer holding the position, or, in special cases, by conferring brevet rank. "Profession il pay, as we have raid, is an allowance made to doctors and dentists of 10s. per c'ay in addition to their pay. This see us very generous, especially in a conscripted force; and the Director of Denial Services -ldniiltxl that he took dentists out of thfi ranks to do their own special work. Raising them from a trainiEg course and drill, which is largely drudgery, and puttiii" them on to work they are accustomed to, with commissioned rank and its allowances, would seem sufficiently good improvement in condition aud remuneration apart from 10s. per day extra allowance. With an army of entirely voluntary service it would be quite different: and the good fortune of some doctors, dentists, and veterinary surgeons is omphasised by ihe fact that men of other professions,' however emir-ent they may be, receive no consideration whatever of this kind. Our recommendation is that, while pxisfinif arinngcmeiits should continue in those cases where officers have not been drawn in the ballot for military service, all other officers who have been called up or will }-et 1, 0 called up in ordinary course of the Military Service Act should professional pay when engaged in their ordinary professional callings. We aro not aware that such professional pay is drawn in any other Army, so, thai cancellation of it is no departure from general precedent. "We recognise that precedents die hard, but precedents are made, to lie bettered, not observed, especially thosa British Army precedents which are based on reasons that do not apply in New Zea. land. We of the present clay, facing new problems, have, just as much right to establ'sh precedents as our forei'afheis hud, and New Zealand may well apply its own common sense and, disregarding some of the fetiehes of the past, abandon professional pay, decide on one common field-service- allowance for all officers nctufllly in the field, and affirm o enmp allowance for those in barracks at a standing camp. This would certainly effect a considerable economy and sweep away a system that has been flagrantly abused. "Becauso of public policy we have no proposals that we think leasable to reduce the initial cost per soldier to the State." THE SUCCESS OF HEENZO (HEAN'S ESSENCE).. A MONEY-SAVING COUGH HIXTUIIE. Some idea of the excellence of Heonzo (Heaai's Essence) as a specific for colds and throat troubles may bo formed from tho fact that in a little over twelve months Mr. Henn has received over 5000 unsolicited testimonials from users, many coming from celebrated singers, whose talents have won them world-wide reputations. But it is in the homes of the people that Heenzo (Henn's Essence) is proving an unmixed blessing.- No household should be without it, so that colds ami sore throats may be effectively treated at a minimum of cost beferc they have had time to develop any of the serious consequences which otten occur tlirough neglect. Ono bottle mokes a pint of tho finest family cough and cold medicine. Eight bottles for the price of one. It saves you money; does you good. Obtainable from most chemists and stores, or post free on receipt of price, 25., direct from Henn's Pharmacy, Wangamii. lie sure you get H-E-E-N-Z-O (Iloan's Essenco). No tther will do.—Advt.