WHY AND WHEREFOR?

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 893, 12 August 1910, Page 4

WHY AND WHEREFOR?

THOSE DEFENCE ESTIMATES. A correspondent, ."Playfair," writes as follows"Your contributor, Tairplay,' in his article. entitled "Why and Wherefor' in The Dominion of Monday last, has raised some very pertinent questions on the very important subject of military officers' pay. May-1 add two or three more? . -

"(1) la his speech at Win ton in May last, the Defence Minister stated that appointments of . .officers t under the new defence scheme would, as far as possible, be given to New Zealand offioers. Why were' New Zealand officers not given an of. offering themselves for the appointment of Staff. Officei to the Commandant of Junior Cadets, at a salary of JC2SO? Is, this not a position that could have been very well filled by a New Zealander, since this. - country, according to the Commandant of Cadets, has led the world in the organisation of school -cadet corps? Major M'Donald's new staff oiScer is an Imperial Army man, an artillery officer. "(2) Why is. the chief clerk' of tha Defence Department credited in the Estimates for 1910-11 'with £5 less salary than the. accountant?. "(3) A. special General Order by the Council of Defence, dated May 6, 1910, states, re the conditions of appointment of adjutants and instructors to regiments and battalions, that the scale of pay and ■ house allowance will be as follows: — "Captains: .£3OO to .£350,' and house allowance of £50, unless free quarters are available. ' • • "Lieutenants: £200 to ,£250, and house allowance of ,£SO, unless free quarters are available'. , - ' "One captain in the Royal New Zealand Artillery receives ,£250, and ' another. .£275 (vide this year's Estimates); another captain, of the Royal New Zealand Engineers, receives .£275. _Why not have a proper system of classification for. all, officers? Surely officers of the technical' branches of the services are entitled to receive at ledst the same rate of pay as is laid down for the Territorial officers? "(4) Why not appoint a couple of paymasters' at, say, JE3OO a year,, to do the work . which the so-called Financial Department of the Council of Defence at present performs at,an annual cost (vide the Estimates) of something like <£1000 a year? Is it a fact that the:increases of pay to officers of' the Defence Department, as set forth in the Estimates, havo been arranged bv the 'Financial Depart rnenf ? If so, why is this thus?"