DEFENCE BUILDING^

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 22, 21 October 1918, Page 6

DEFENCE BUILDING^

MINISTER DEFENDS EXPENDITURE

The Minister of Defence (Sir James Alien) made a statement on Saturday regarding the proposal of his Department to spend £12,000 in the erection of temporary quarters for tho Pay Department, which is being amalgamated with Base Records. It has been urged that the expenditure of so large a sum of money on temporary buildings at this stage of tho war was extravagant and unnecessary.

The Minister said that he considered , tho expenditure to bo justified, on "rounds of efficiency and economy. The Pay Branch and Base Records were housed in separate buildings at present, and this meant much duplication / of work and a cumbrous system of exchanging records. Hundreds of files passed backward and forward -between the two Departments, with consequent ' delay at both ends. Then there was the further fact that the lease of the building occupied by the Pay Department was running out, and that the branch was exceedingly cramped in its , present quarters. In fact, it had already overflowed into a portion of the Parliamentary Buildingß. Some rearrangement would be necessary in any case.

"The Pay Branch is still growing," added Sir James Allen, "and there in no doubt sit all that amalgamation with fiase Records under one head will make for economy and efficiency.' We have looked about for new quarters, but they do not appear to he .obtainable in existing buildings. I do not know when the war is going to end, but in any case, the two Departments concerned will be working for a long time after the conclusion of peace. Tho temporary building will be of use afterwards to the civil staff of the Government Dep?rfn>.cnts, and we are arranging tho dc-.tails of construction in such a way that they can easily bo removed and the materials sold. Wo believe that the sale of materials will eventually return to the Defence Department a considerable part of'tho money that is to be spent."