DEFENCE DEPARTMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 7

DEFENCE DEPARTMENT

Sir,—l think everyone will ho pleased to seo that a commission is to he set up to go into the Defence expenditure, which is now assuming a lingo proposition. Thorn seems to lie a great overstuffing of all tho departments. Oo ivheivs -you will, one sees home service ofiicinls floating about everywhere. Jt is a well-known fact that tlioro are- siitlicient men in the .service to eat the work twice over woro )hcy competent, hut in many instances finrnive pegs have boen placed in round holes and the servico suffers accordingly. I have had the opportunity of witnessing the lax wny in which the work is done by many of the mnn in various branches. The heconm branch is stuffed with men and girls, and ono wonders what they find to do. And still money is paid away month niter month in overtime expenses. I. am positive that if business men were nlacwl in these positions the money would not lie frittered nway such as it is at pre. sent. Thero nro men in tho service drawing huge sums monthly who are wasting their time and the country s monev. Is there any sense in paying the chairmen of the military boards twice over? They draw their salaries as Magistrates and alio as chairmen of the military boards. And this in wartime! In tlio Records branch one is reminded of a picnic-tea is dispensed in the I morning and afternoon for t>, whole female staff, and there is more work done during this interval than at any other time. These departments should be carefully looked into and all incompetents weeded out. Giving the bonus to these people is a huge joke. There are scores of men in the service drawing large salaries and «ceiyin„ separation and children's allowances who have never been away, mid, some- ot these also have farms and pnvato bu> - nes.ws as well. Why are so many highofficered men employed to do home servico work? If they are unfit to go to tho front, why pay them atioli hgh salaries, to do incompetents' work? What is tho necessity of keeping so many majors, captains, and lieutenants to do privates' work? There is a shortage, or labour in tho town and country, and surely these men could he better employed. The waste in stationery alone in the Defence Department.is appalling, and cries out for a strict investigate. A great saving in clerical work coulcl also he accomplished which «< P™"" is, in-many instances, duplicated, riicio ' are many good business men who wouM be readv to give their time ami engineer these branches in a businesslike mannei It would he interesting is know what the population of the Dj; enen Department is. Why hro these billets not given to tho returned soldiers instead of employing men and girls whoi could go back to their old vocations? There are oo many hangers-on,- and tho service slinks of them. If the work was done in businesslike manner and with capable supervision I have no hesitaf™ in swing that it could he done, wil-' half tho hole.-I am, etc., COMPMIiAti. pi Dominion reporter who made somo inquiries on the. pointsraised "ithis letter was informed officially that tho correspondent had very much misrepresented the portion. The Departments that employ tho largest stalls are Base Records, the Recruiting Brand, and the Pay Branch. A proportion ot the employees aro girls and women in each case. All tho brandies give preference to returned soldiers on their malp, staffs, and nil of them find it nncessniy to work a certain amount of overtime. Difficulty has been experienced in securing tho required number, of competent workers in tho higher clerical grades. The Departments have practically no fit First Division men on their staff!,. Their civilian and home service employees tiro subject to tho ballot, and the Departments have not asked for exemption in any enses. Tho female .staffs aro allowed short breaks for afternoon tea, and in some cases for morning tea also, but a similar arrangement prevails in many commercial houses whero women nro employed. Tho brief rests are. considered to bo conducive to efficiency.]