DEFENCE COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16205, 7 May 1918, Page 9

DEFENCE COMMISSION.

' ' (rnESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) i WELLINGTON, Slay 6. f P( , foro the Defence Expenditure JJnission to-day, Colonel R -V adjutant-general, in civil life a % . stated that lie had had. no He did not think there inn much centralisation in General There was at the prcH rtno for the fullest exerc.so Jfoit» tivo by district staff commanded whether, in his opinion there Jo too many officers especially of •Lnjfln tvpe, temporarily doing railic* dutv, Colonel Tate taid that offiof civilian type were « 3 were very regular staff oftnvailablc. He questioned ,f the lumber could be reduced. The chairman questioned the neces--1 of cmploving soldiers in the Pay "•j nay; Records Departments. Why K necessary for all those clerks to ./SnclTatc: The pay i> rnr the work f ~A not for the position. Witness went G a " to say it would possibly bo cheaper to employ a purely civil clerical staff in the Defence Department there was > i lirec proportion of females, but it was not considered practicable, as a matter of policy, that returned and unfit cnldiers should be employed in those Mwwities. He did not think that there 'o too many men in uniform knockjn,, round. Preference was always liven to returned soldiers when filling Positions in the Department, and these Lre performing duties at satisfactory Salaries. Ho thought they were fair, trith tho cxccpUon of those of lieuten- * u and sub-lieutenants, who should at least be paid the minimum rate for 9 lieutenant in tho New Zealand Permanent Force—£2.so— or be granted a married allowance.