DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 12

DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION

THE COMMISSION'S STRICTURES. REPLY BY DEPARTMENT'S OFFICERS. \ few weeks ago a conference of officers of tho Defence Department was held in "Wellington to discuss and consider tho criticisms, suggestions, and recommcr.cations contained'in tho roport of the Defence Expenditure Commission. The conference, whieh was attended by officers of the Department from all the military districts and tho Expeditionary Force training camps, was presided over by tho C ?, m ™^ nd q" h ' Major-General Sir A.. W. Robin. The Conference was held in camera, bu shorthand report of the proceedings was taken, and thl decisions arrived at t>j ! tho Conference, decisions which, aro 6ta cd to have teen almost unanimous, have been forwarded to us by the Minister of Dofonco (Sir James Allen). Iu a covering memorandum to tno Minister, tho Commandant says:— The notes were fully discussed, and in thenpresent form woro almost unanimously agreed upon. Tho personnel of tho Conference clearly understood that its' function was not to criticise the report of tho Commission, but to offer explanation and information, and, where necessary, to indicate action taken or about to bo taken in regard to the ro Port-!! . ,

Following aro somo of tho moro important comments of the Conference on vhe Commission's report: — • Tho Conference were of opinion that at this stage to carry out the suggestion of giving administrative appointments not to "combatant" officers, but to specially selected and trained men would entail the employment of a'largo number of understudies at great expense, which would be immediately condemned as unwarranted waste of money. Suggestions from subordinates are not uucouraged, but, on tho contrary, aro encouraged. Referring to the Commission's recommendation that British. Army methods should be discarded in favour of more direct methods, tho Conference tays "Tho opinion of the Defence Expenditure Commission advocating a clean break from 'English Army methods' would appear to bo diametrically op-

posed to tho principles workod out by the Committees of imperial Defence in conjunction with the imperial Conference hold prior to the present war. The same principles of uniformity of organisation Jiave again been stressed at tho Imperial Conference held last year in war-time. Wo shall never attain a <slrong British Empire, in a military sense, if each portion is to work on different lines, It is interesting to note that, where New Zealand has effected a great saving by the camp organisation which differs from that >in force in tho United Kingdom recruit camps, the Defence Expenditure Commission have condemned it apparently without proper investigation of the pros and cons. They advocate the battalion system, which would undoubtedly be costly to initiate and extravagant to work. King's Regulations must necessarily be adopted in regard to the administration of discipline • under tho Army Act. Adaptations of the regulations to New Zealand conditions have been made in tfie New Zealand Defence Regulations and Camp Standing Orders. A uniform military system of discipline apd principles of administration is essential tor tho Army of- the Empire composed of units from all its peoples."

The whole question of pay and allowances is bein^- dealt with by a Board of Enquiry, which has been sitting for some considerable time. . Tho.. recommendations made- by the Commission are being carefully considered in detail, and every attention will be paid to them in order that" existing anomalies may be removed. . Too much is not being paid to Returned soldiers in offices, as a rule, but cases occur where married and children's allowances create anomalies in favour of married men. A system or grading exists whereby both civil and military staffs orb classified according to the duties undertaken- to ensure as far as possible a similar-rate or pay for similar class of work. . ' In reply to the allegation that employment* of returned soldiers at military rates alongside of Public Service employees is likely to create troublo. the Conference states that oxperience has proved that trouble can and is avoided by good office management. There aro very few, if any, instances whero returned soldiers are employed, by tho Defence Department in positions which might be filled by women. It is just possible that there may be some clerical cases where a woman might be employed if it were possible to get a sufficiently experienced woman. Returned soldiers are employed almost entirely on work which often has phases unsuitable for a.woman's presence. There are not too many officers on district staffs. They were recently reduced . as recommended by officers commanding districts, and almost immediately reauests were made for .increases. A very small proportion of the district staff is occupied with training. . The majority of the officers are administrative officers employed in connexion with the administration, of the Military Service Act, returned soldiers, and the Defence Act. At the annual conference at General Headquarters with officers commanding districts the question of reduction of staff was con-

sidered. ; Action has been taken to appoint local representatives of the Minister in charge ,of the Munitions and Supplies Department at Dunediii, Christchurch, and Auckland, the Christchurch representative being Mr J. I. Royds. . The adverse criticism of the camps

on the grounds of "lack of application of the principles of organisatirai" is considered to bo unwarranted in view of tbo smoothness with which the camps have run, the conditions existing therein, and tne results achieved. Regarding • medical rc-examinations, the' Conference states .that it has recently found possible io throw on, the Assistant-Director of ..Medical Services in each district the responsibility for such. . 'Regarding tbo question _ of having military • representatives with Military Service Boards, the Conference state that the chairmen of the Board, with one exception, disapproved the use of group commanders in place of military representatives, and testified as to the practical value of the latter's sorvices. Commenting on the Commission's remark that there is no necessity to put clerks into uniform at the expense of the public, the Conference says;— "Home-service clerks in Wellington are drilled in a soldier's duties and obligations, which Avork is undertaken outride the ordinary offico hours. The valuo of a good clerk may not depend on his 'top button' being open, but discipline for civil staff is equally necessary, and a civilian clerk would in i few offices be allowed to work without hi 9 collar and tie, although such might not interfere with his work.'' . In regard to'the Commission's statement that many men are drawing military pay for clerical work in excess of what they could earn in civil life, the Conference points out that temporary work, of any nature is usually paid at a higher rate than permanent work. The Commission drew attention to the fact that "pay for rank" produces many anomali«;. Commenting on this the Conference says: "There must be 9ome basis for pay, and 'pay for rank' is the present basis. Tnis does not apply in the cases of officers on loan from the Imperial Army under special contract. The whole question is being carefully considered/' The policy of granting professional pay to medical and dental officers serving in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was adopted at the commencement of the war, before the parsing of the Military Service Act, and has been keijt up oyer since. The matter is now

under the consideration of tho Board on Pav ar.d Allowances ... . fn reference to the Commission s advocacy of a stern and constant combingout of the Defence Department of fit men, the Conference says: ' This is alroady the practice. . Combing out the Defence Department is constantly goon, but the fit men are few. Ifi order to keep -up. the pressure, periodical medical examinations for employed men were ordered come time ago. Returned soldiers discharged for wounds or ill-health who become fit are not liable for service. If not so discharged thev are caught in the ballot, and the revision is automatic."