H.—l9c

64

The following recommendations made throughout the report can safely be carried out: — Audit : — Establish a branch in London. Appoint a representative in each military district. Camps : — Change brigade system for battalion system. .1 {educe establishments. Medical Examination Boards :- Reduce lay staff of each to three persons. Gazette names of men reclassified as C 2, giving reasons. Pay and Allowances :— Payment of allotments, separation allowances, &c, should be lunar, or for one-twelfth of a year, instead of by calendar month. Abolish groomage allowance. Abolish professional pay in certain cases. Abolish field-service allowances in standing carrrps. Establish camp allowance and field allowance on flat rate. Increase pay of Lieutenants on staff work in New Zealand. Increase travelling-allowance of Captains and Lieutenants. Reduce fees of Chairmen of Military Service Boards. Stores : — Brand clothing and equipment to prevent pilfering. Let there be no nervousness about departing from customs obviously faulty. The excuse that " Grandfather did it " is very leaky nowadays. When a high officer, after admitting that certain designations were misleading and conveyed no meaning, was asked why a new departure could not be made and common-sense titles substituted, which the world, might follow, he said that New Zealand is too small a country to start innovations. It would, not be the first time that New Zealand had struck out on new lines, which the other parts of the Empire had gradually followed with great benefit. In addition, we make the following suggestions for the guidance of the occupant of the new post of General Officer in Charge of Administration: — (a.) The branches of Recruiting and Personal Services now employ 232 and 22 people respectively —in all 254. If that shrewd organizer- the Government Statistician (Mr. Malcolm Eraser) could be prevailed upon to take over these services we are quite sure he would do them more efficiently than at present, with 150, as a minimum—probably 200 —less hands. .In other words, to make our position plain, as we are aware of the full significance of what we are recommending, if the Government Statistician were given at the very most 100 extra staff he could perform more efficiently the work now done by the 254 referred to above. (b.) Where possible, all men, irrespective of rank, employed on purely administrative work should be in mufti. Of course, in camps uniform is necessary. Quite an erroneous impression is conveyed to the public by seeing so many men unnecessarily in uniform, (c.) Military nomenclature should be simplified. Archaic designations should be abolished, and common-sense and understandable names substituted. For instance, we can extract no meaning from the words themselves in the title " Quartermaster-General " or " Adjutant-General." The title " Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores " should be changed to " Director of Army Stores," for the one thing he has, and should have, nothing whatever to do with is ordnance ; but his scope should be extended to embrace Engineers' stores, medical supplies, and also forage and food, now looked after by an officer called " Director of Supplies and Transport." The " Director of Personal Services " is simply a military legal adviser. The principal duty of the " Director of Movements and Quartering " is transports, which could be better left to an expert than to one who admitted that he knew nothing whatever about ships and charters until he assumed this job. As to the true inward significance of