WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 May 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

WAR EXPENDITURE COMMISSION. INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS, r WELLINGTON, May 6. The proceedings of the War Expenditure Commission are proving much more interesting and spicy at headquarters than they did in the provinces, as much through the caustic comments of the Chairman as through the frank admissions of the official witnesses. Sir Robert Anderson knows his job and he is doing it without any undue to persons, whatever their military rank, political influence or social status may be. He has had the salaries of certain officers before him, including those of the Dental Department, and has expressed the opinion that some of them are "very, very, high" for the class of work the lucky recipients are doing. So far he has been unable to ascertain how these salaries were fixed, a succession of witnesses disclaiming responsibility and knowledge; but he believes the Minister of Defence will be "very much surprised when he hears^about them. WELL-PAID SERVICES. Sir Robert Anderson is in the somewhat invidious position of being both counsel and judge on the Commission. He has not only to listen to what the witnesses say voluntarily, but also to ?ross-e>;amine them, if the term is » permissible, on what they leave unsaid. The other day Colonel Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff, a most capable officer, in discussing salaries, said he hoped if a "levelling" were undertaken it would be "up" and not "down"—a very proper wish, of course, on behalf of his fellow officers. But the Chairman at once pounced upon the case of a Captain who is receiving close upon £SOO a year, apart from certain perquisites, and the Colonel, just as promptly, declared this was an appointment made without his knowledge and without his approval.

MILITARY ::ANK FOR CIVILIANS. Disclosures of this kind, which havebeen made at sitting ri the Commission in Wellington and commented upon by the Chairnaar;, have set the public talking. It shown that dentists who war were making £3OO or a year, or less, in private^practices, now resplendent in khaki rind braid with the rank of Major or LieutenantColonel and receiving anything from £SOO to £7oo'a year, with secretaries and orderlies and handsome margins for expenses. The admirable work done by many of these gentleadmitted, but it is protested" that other dentists have been called up in the ballot and sent away carrying a rifle at 5s a day. What the critics want to know is why the more fortunate members of the profession were not conscripted and paid salaries that would have left them with the satisfaction of making some sacrifice on behalf of their country . THE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS. The appointments to the Legislative Council are" not yet. officially announced, but the newspapers, presumably on good authority, have named twelve of the new "lords" and the usual grumbling is in full swing. The "Dominion" this morning raises the plaint that the agricultural and pastoral interests, which were supposed to be Mr Masscy's special and particular concern, have been entirely overlooked, and Labour, apparently with some reason, complains that.Jjft has been utterly ignored. The ProhToitionists, with Mr. George Jones and Mr, G. J. Smith on their side among the "Probables" are not rampant at "a much larger representation of the brewers," as they put it, "out they arestill a little fearful lest "a larger infusion of Liquor" should be sprungupon them by later additions to the batch. ISTo explanation of the de>ay in making the final announcement is yet available.