DEFENCE ECONOMIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 5

DEFENCE ECONOMIES

STMCTEST CAM! ENJOINED,

A General Headquarters instruction issued yesterday enjoins striot economy upon all officers holding administrative positions in tho New Zealand forces. Extracts from the instruction are given below: "District commanders and Staff should keep statistical' rocords to enable extravagances to bo detected and economies to bq offected. Whan such returns aro obtained they should not be used porfimctorily but as the basis for censure, or for disciplinary action when wasteful methods are revealed, and for commendation when an officer is) found to be energetio and resourceful in socuring economy and efficiency. A tendency to overstatf must be guarded against. Tho employment of too largo a numbor of persons for a particular duty results,in diminished efficiency of oach individual and causes a waste of man power, tlmo and money. "All officers who control the employment of personnel will constantly and carefully consider the following in regard to the branch under their supervision! Amount of work which' the branch is expected or supposed to transact; the number of hands employed in transacting that work; tho hours of labour of eaoh employee; tho pay received by each. A comparison should then be instituted under the same headings with other Government or commercial establishmento. It is as necessary to prevent misuse and waste of labour as it is of stoics and material.

"The cervices of employees who are not efficient -will bo dispensed with, while thoso who excel ia efficiency should invariably bo recommended for special recognition. Consideration will, howevor, always be given to disabled soldior em. ployees who must be helped and encouraged to make thomselves efficient. It should bo remembered that modern military equipmont ia very costly, therefore neglect in tho caro and accounting for equipment leads to waste and extravagance involving heavy expenditure, and should be carefully guarded against. Useful articles should not be discarded because they do not strictly conform with the latest awthorised pattern. Articles that aro useless for Defenco purposes should ho sold or brought to produce without delay. "Officers commanding districts and heads of branches of tho Defence Department will impress upon, all concerned tho necessity for a high' standard of adminisUaK'vo offioienoy in ordor that the no> tional expenditure may not bo increased by extravagance or by .avoidable waste."