ARMY IN FETTERS'

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1942, Page 2

ARMY IN FETTERS'

RED TAPE ALLEGED

AUSTRALIAN CRITICISM (0.C.) SYDNEY, October 2. Public attention has been forcibly directed this week towards serious allegations that red tape methods are strangling the army in its actual practical conduct of the defence of Australia and of the war in NewGuinea. The spearheads in the allegations are Mr. W. C. Wentworth, a former State Treasury expert and ex-cap-tain, who is stated to have been "eased" out of the army, and Mr. Whittington Roope, a Melbourne business expert, who was office manager in the R.A.A.F. southern area for three months and was then dismissed. Mr. Roope's dismissal was upheld by a Manpower Appeal Board, which criticised his attitude towards his superior officers, but also admitted that they had shown an attitude of hostility towards him. Apparently the Appeal Board took the view that, with this feeling existing, it was better for the R.A.A.F. that Mr. Roope should leave it. Financial Direction. Mr. Wentworth's allegations have been widely publicised in the Sydney Daily Telegraph in the form of special articles by him, and also of editorial articles by the paper, and he followed them up yesterday with an addressed to the Constitutional Association on "An Army in Fetters." The chief accusation which Mr. Wentworth brings against the army administration is that it is "completely in the hands of the district finance officer" (D.F.0.).

Mr. Wentworth says; "The D.F.O. is 'financial adviser to formation commanders,' the 'principle accounting authority,' and the 'approving authority for expenditure.' He decides, in point of fact, whether expenditure is in accordance with regulations. Since he himself is personally liable for 'erros or overissues made by him in disregard of regulations or in the absence of proper authority,' it is not to be wondered that he is inclined to adopt a conservative view. Thus, suppose money is needed for some urgent work or military purpose.

" Monstrous Paper War."

"The matter is referred to the D.F.0., who decides, in accordance with the regulations, that there is no proper authority, and, very naturally, does not make funds available. From this decision there may be an appeal to the senior general in the districts." If that general is satisfied that 'payment would not be contrary to any regulation to order'— and it may be remarked that there are 263 pages of regulations and orders beyond the power of living man to reckon—then he may, 'subject to the Audit Act and the Treasury Regulations,' approve of the expenditure. That is why senior generals and their staffs have so little time left to devote to the incidental business of defeating the Japs.—most of their time is taken up with holding their own in the monstrous paper war."

Mr. Wentworth proposes as the cure for this state of things drastic decentralisation of all army administration. He urges that all officers should be allowed to spend reasonable amounts on urgent requirements, pointing out that a battalion commander who has charge of the lives of about a thousand men ought surely to be allowed to spend say, up tq £250, without reference through a whole system of authority.

Mr. Roope said that the way in which the R.A.A.F. Southern Area Finance Office was run would be "simply maniacal'' if attempted in private business and would bankrupt a business in no time. He said there was not one statistic in the whole place showing the cost of anything "I hr. ve seen papers marked highly secret' lying about in unlocked rooms.

Waste of Man Hours

"In many departments there was an extraordinary waste of man hours. Each in itself was a little thing, but collectively the debit against efficiency and economy was tremendous. There was no arrangement for a regular supply of pencils, blotting paper, and ink. Getting a pencil could be an excuse for wastminutes Translated in terms of 400 odd employees, time lost was huge. In one small section ten senior girls each took an hour morning and afternoon, to make tea a loss of 120 man hours a week. Time nffiL X^^ king tea alone c °st the ?1Q nru? r " ° nce pay cards involving £19,000 were wrongly sent to Sydney. It took many employees to straighten out the confuf complaints were received from dependents of dead airmen because of non-payment of personal ?E d pay due " Without justification, there were about 1000 cases not some cases the airmen had been dead 18 months to two years.