ARMY FINANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8149, 5 July 1906, Page 4

ARMY FINANCE.

sunn .viuir.v.N muddlls. In iin' it-in.it d tin- Comptroller and Aiiditnr-l" i.erai, which was i-tiled last month hit Ji tlic Army Appropriation Account. 1'»(>1— _ >. aiv contained a imminent lit the account* tm the war ill .v,uth Aincu. In on- instance the story i.i related of tin- sak> of I;S.'J")3 bottles of ixirt. "tatcd to be of detective quality. at l-"i-. a dozen, instead of at the loutract sale pi ice of ibs. It seems that the War Otfice had approved, in reply to a call!*' from South Africa, of the -ale ot 1.200 cases, only (equal to 12.000 bottles), at the lower rate on account of its n-portod poor uuality, but the whole tW.'Joa bottles were sold at this rate to the firm who had preciously contract.'d to pay 265.. Subsequently an analytical report showed that the wine was genuine port and fit tor hospital use. The report states that certain similar cases to these already known, where surplus stoics sole: to contractors iiave boon repurchased at enhanced rates, have occurred in South African acccunts, but they are not rpecially mentioned, as the Royal Commission has them under consideration. Some account is given of the sales of surplus supplies, to Messrs. Wilson and Worthington. It is recorded in this connection: "It was noticed that large quantities of supplies Mild to Messh-". Wilson and Worthingtim at damaged rates were issued from the Gerrmston depot, and. from papers furnished to my officer in South Africa, it appeared that in same cases the condition of tlie supplies received by the =upp ! y officer at that depot had alT eady. En .accordance with the contract, '•een invc-tigat.xl and agreed upon at Mm staiiuii from which they were sent o Oi'iiuisti.u. 1 have therefore asked 'o lie informed whether tlie condifou of all the surri'.'is snppliei sold at Germis*o to Miss--. Wil.-on and Worthington ■it damaged rates was agreed to before lespatch to that station. In that case I have asked that certificates from the heal supply officer concerned as to the agreed condition may be furnished. H the condition was not ugroed to before despatch to OermLston. I have asked nhetlier the decision to charge at damaged rates was based on the report of a board of officers or depended solely on tho judgment of the Army Service Corps offioec on the s:pot. "In tho examination of the Pretoria new dc]>ot supply account" for June quarter 1903 it was noticed that about 2.000.000 lbs. or oats were written off charge as sold to Messrs. Wilson and Worthington at 6s. per 100 lbs., and ♦ hat the.* oats formed part __ of the inantity previously 'returned 'in April. 1003. b'v Messrs. Meyer, Limited in respect of which that firm received the refund of £21.232. As this forage was sold to Messrs. Wilson and Worthington a-i 'damaged' stock. I inquired whether, before dis-posal, it was brought before a board of officers and du';-sen-tenced as 'damaged.' '' liKjiiiries en the snot are now beimi made. With reference to '"Supply and Animal Accounts,'' the Comptroller states. "It appears from papers furnished to ■ny department, that a careful test examination has been made of all

•:n urgency rations at stations at home and abroad. The whole cf tho stock lias been in store over three years, and. : n view of tho results of the examination, the Army Council are of opinion that none of the.rations can hi relied on an available for issue to troops in the field. It has therefore been decided to gradually destroy all the ration■>n charge. Tho total number is about 300.000 at homo and about oO.OOf) at stations abroad, the original cot being approx'match- £23.000. The Trea ■cry have lieen informed that the detrue lion cf these rations is the. in•vitahle result of keeping up Mocks „| r ations which are only made u.-■.> of in cime of war. and that the general arrangements in regard to emergency 'ntiens are at present under the consideration of the Army Council."

Tl!3 burpher camps'in Orange Itivoi Colony anpear to have lie run on o» •vnsirn l ; nts. Tlie cost per head pei Jay was o.tsd. in the Transvaal mid Natal, but in Orange River Colonv tin outlay w.n 13.82<1. Another nf the Comptroller's fiimnrial tales has to do with tlu' relations Fietwoen an fntehi"eiice Officer and r!:< Army af the front. The details are as follows in the words <>t the report :

"A double payment of CSOO has anparcntly b?en made to Mr. I". Ni reel . •'or cattle raptured by him when em in the Inte'llgenee Departineni in 'Smith Africa fiom August to I)."embir. l'HXt. Mr. Noreen put forcard a e'nini in 1002 in South Africa for £1.721. being £1 each for 1.721 h?ad of cattle captured diir.ng thepn iinl from August to October. 1900. This claim w,t- not admitteM. but in view nl the vaijiah'e services rendered by Mi. Noreen. tin General Officer Commanding awarded him a bonus of £BIXI which wa« paid to him in Seplenib.'r. 1902. and the covering sanction of the Treasure was afterwards obtained. "In July. 190:1. Mr. Noreen made a •■laim up'n the War Office dire<t for £I.OOO. in respect of captures dining tin. pe""! from August. 1000. to .January. IPOI. cf J. .000 h-.-ad of cattle at CI rich, supporting his claim v. ith a •n-til.'Mte from the officer commanding t'.e rebron to the effect that lara-ca|>-'ures bad ben made about Xov.uiber. 1000. and were mainly due to Mr. Noreen. and further by a statement from the Armv Service Cor)> i i officei that over I.OOOhead of cattle had boon handed in by him. It api*.-ars that no -eferenci' was made to the authorities in South Africa regarding this claim, and. with Treasury sanction, payment of €4.000 was made in September. 1003. in settlement." Sanction was •oiiirbt for the gros- payment- of £I.BOO to Mr. Noreen. As shown in the cornipondenee. the Treasury have declined to anprore the War Office request, and have decided that 'the responiibility of defending the payments as made, and of explaining the causes which led to the misunderstanding, must rest with the Army Council."

The C-.mptroller and Auditor-General admit-, that "the promptitude and tliorongliu.'* with uhicli the War Office has replied to the numerous inquiries that I have raised in the course of the year has enabled my report to be. much more complete than would otherwise have been possible."