HOW THE MONEY GOES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1918, Page 4

HOW THE MONEY GOES.

FLAGRANT WASTE IX DEFENCE DEPARTMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Before the Defence Expenditure Com* mission, Captain Myers, Awdstant Ad-jutant-General of Otugo District, thought that money could be saved in regard to the method of calling up reserves. It would simplify the procedure and there would be less expense if the calling up notice was sent by the group commander. Witness suggested that it would nave money and time if more discretion were granted the district headquarters in regard to granting leave to men coming from camp. Sometimes five or six telegrams had to be sent to Wellington in order to get replica to letters. Captain Dobson, Assistant Director of Supplies and Transports, gave evidence that his staff was undermanned. When buying supplies on such a large scale it was a. wrong principle to advertise for tenders. Aa a matter of business, it would pay to give the buying officer authority to buy privately, as an ordinary iirm would* do. The moment the Government advertised that it wanted some particular line, the price went up. Witness mentioned a case of a ship having been fitted ir< at Port Chalmere to curry 1100 troops! it cost about £3OOO. When the work was finished, word came that the ship was not wanted for troops, but for horses, and the fittings had to be ripped out and stored. Witness was of opinion that it would pay the Government now to take over transports at the first arranged price, if it had the power to do so, instead of continuing to pay in charters, and then stand the cost of i refitting the ship at the end of the war. Major Moller, group commander at Dunedin, figured out that to call up 4000 | men it had cost £IB,OOO, including £lO,COO for the urgent telegrams each man | received. The whole thing could be done I by one registered notice from the grouj commander at a cost of £1230.

ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 10. Reports indicate that one result of the transfer of soldiers' hospitals and sanitaria from the Public Health Department to the Defence Department will be the creation of additional officers. The" Defence Department cannot be accused of parsimony in its treatment of men who have any claim at all to be regarded aa specialists. It might have had the soldiers' teeth treated by a few dozen' dentists drawing moderate salaries; of it might have utilised the services of fully qualified dontists already in th» forces or drawn in the ballots, But it elected to create a dental corps, with a staff of colonels, majors and captains. A dental major, it may be mentioned, is entitled to wear spurs and employ two orderlies. He may use an orderly to keep his garden in good trim. It appears that the transfer of the homes and sanitoria to Defence control is going to mean additions to staffs, and the elevation to military rank of men .who have so far worked as civilians in the treatment of returned sick and wounded aoldiers.