WASTED PUBLIC MONEY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8917, 10 September 1907, Page 4

WASTED PUBLIC MONEY.

Is there something in military training which tends to make a soldier a bad man of business? A recent report of the Co mmittee of Public Accounts at Homo suggests the question. The year under review by the Committee was the first under the new system brought about by the Esher Committee, which led to_ a complete upheaval of the War Office and the disappearance of all those who had lifelong experience in army finance. But even allowing for these special circumstances, the revelations make depressing reading. There is, however, one touch of humor. The sum of £3900 was spent on the construction of a shed for a new elongated balloon at Aldershot, but the manufacture of the balloon proceeded so slowly that by the time it was finished, other buildings had been erected near the shed, and the balloon had not room to ascend. So the factory had to be removed, at a cost of £IO,OOO. The Committee mildly remark that ‘ ‘ there was some lack of foresight in this matter. ’ ’ An officer of field rank in charge of works costing £150,000, was instructed to complete his accounts by a certain date. Instead of saying there was no time to do so, he adjusted the accounts so that the savings and excesses balanced each other, transferring a small saving on one item, to meet an excess on another, and vice versa. There was no fraud, but a falsification of acounts which the committee think would probably in civil life have resulted in dismissal. The most serious feature of the case was the fact thatthe officer thought himself perfectly justified in adjusting his accounts. “If such views were prevalent in the Service,” comment the committee, “no system of accounting would be of any value. ’ ’ The waste of money from change of plans is deplorable. A Mounted Infantry School was erected at East Bulsford at a cost of £140,000, and closed. Land for another was purchased at Femoy for £35,000, and the idea subsequently dropped. Barracks to accommodate eight infantry battalions were erected at Tidworth at a cost of £1,000,000, and it was then found that accommodation for only four battalions was required. The rest r of the barracks are being altered at considerable cost to suit cavalry. While the committee find that there is “a most extraordinary ‘desire” on the part of the headquarters staff to make reductions, they state that they are without assurance that a more satisfactory result may be expected in the future.