DEFENCE EXPENDITURE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 52, 13 February 1918, Page 3

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE.

COMMISSION CONTINUES SITTINGS. i OFFICERS COMPLAIN OF | RESTRICTIONS. | [ prrt press association.] j Auckland. Feb. 12. | The Defence Expenditure Commission heard the evidence to-day of Colonel G. J. Smith, in temporary (■omrnand of the Auckland district, tie complained of the restrictions placed on commanding ofiicers tn reference to expenditure in small I matters. I The President : When you want , anything from Headquarters. X\ ellinsftnn. do you i 11 cotrqs ’through in a satisfactory manner I from a business point of view —lt j comes through too slowly. Wellington has to deal with a great .many matters, but if greater responsibility were given to the officers in command of districts the pressure would be relieved to some extent in Wellington. Major Sir Robert Walker, senior staff officer in the district, said h,s i principal duties were to superintend the training of tne Territorials and Cadets, (finer officers were allowed a great deal of latitude in running their own branch, ami he ct:d not interfere unless he saw they were, absolutely wrong, or they came to him for advice. The Territorial force, in the district totalled 5752 Senior Cadets, 7623 Territorials, and rille clubs 226-1, a total of !5,672. The President: Do you .think, the regulations discourage them from using their initiative.'—! do. I think I the centralisation in Wellington affects tills to a considerable extent, j The manager of a good branch busi- * ness would have to take the responsibility for such things. For instance, there was the matter of the temporary increase in staff during periods of rush. SAVINGS SUGGESTED. Major Price, A.A.G. District, thought there was a tendency to centralise things too much in Wellington. If greater responsibilities and sums of money were granted to various districts, a saving would in many cases be effected. A considerable quantity of chaff was required. Everybody Knew tae market was rising, ami if the power to purchase had been given the district, this purchase could have been made ahead and a considerable saving effected. A saving could be effected. also, if men rejected as medically unfit were not given the usual 5 -, as in. many cases they were no doubt receiving wages. The Department w put to considerable expense m conveying m-x:-of-km from various part- <>t thXor’h Island to Auckland to meet r> ■ turniiur men. Tais, he thought, could be eliminated. i> lhe boat got in in time the men v.ert- n'lil the same evening, so that oven if tin-next-of-k’u were not- brought to Auckland. : : would only be a. matter of 2: hour's oi' so later before they met their bo.vs. The pereeninge of next-of-kin to returning men itoitlil be about’ 50. In reply to Colonel Rhodes he siatr-d that a man s di.wiiaiqe nid not necessarily date from the arrival ■’rom IL'-iidquarterr’of h ; s pa.t book', if the pat f-ook did not iil'mr !:<■ Would still he discharged. ( reone! If bodes :'W ha' rlo-s he d>, ii meant rue ’ St an •• ’ -As a rule he knows t’-.< eondlt'ous and i- note to nrrike prevision. Does that appear to you quite ■.■'if’ir N o ; 1 do not think it iq but t.liere may be a reason for it.

A FAULTY bYSTI'.M. Lieut. Donald William Bodie, Gar rison Artillery, Assietnuy .Secretary of Supplies at Narrow Neck Camp from August. I'.'l.’t. to lebruasv. 1'.t1,. anil previously quarterimistci o( tar Auckland Garrison Aridh-ry Dai■do::, handed m a siaienn iit m which nc said that. Ly personal expeiieiivv he I.ad obtained an extensive knowledge of waste pertaining to tne rationing of troopv. At one stage he requested the Assistant Director of Supplies and Tra ii'-por.:. Auckland, to permit him to unitiaic a monthly supply account (u. Nairo-.v Neck De pov. including a cost .-,h< < i. m place of the usual gross returns of goods only. He pointed out at tne turn that l»y -o tiling me Department could aS", rtain at a glance which unit wa a wast : ng the iiitious issued and which was ecoiiunueat. He aiso suggested a roper ledger account oi earn unit, to )> • kept at Bi-adipiai-tors, tile indents being forwarded ini mediately after tiic issue of the .tores. This ne believed would promote good control and economy and wguJ(l remove the temptati on t< > theft, misappropriation or hijmisp ol stores, while one staff of clerks would be able to keep all the ledger accounts- of tiic v.holc riistricf. His request was ret used and the suggest ion ignored. He accordingly obfaineti permission trom tiic Q.M.G. anti General >taft Officer at Auckland to initiate his own supply accountr-. and from January to June, juiti, he for-wm-ut'd the :el urns to his unit. He a. ord- red to revert to the old sv s;ein and did .so till fie v. as relieved of 1.1.-- duties in February, I!>i7. lie forv•-ird> d a complete description of hi« .svi'.eiiie to the Minister in April. In an- .v"f to th.-' p-;-c-/id; tit n-gara inix tlie po-sibiiity of tiiet'i and fraud I'l-s-i the ohi sys: -tn of accounts, wiiin-sv .-mid mat b’.it'cr was drawn Narrow Neck in his time about .."■i’L a month below tin; ration scale ami allow am?-'. With tim co-opera-lioi) <.f any o'her member ot the ou.rrtermastmr’s staff he eoidd have

■'■pr; away” with -WO’b* "f butter a month if .ie bad chosen by "doctoring" the .-('counts and District Headquarters would'never ercn have .««« pct-tni anything was wrong. I?;.--TFFICEXT PAY. (.'itptrtin WiLiam Quayle Kewish. couiniaiM.ng the Royal .»<•«■ Zealand ?ir:lil<’:y Detachment, Auckland. st.atv f t was responsible for tne pay <>! the in* ii under b:s innniiaini and fur the .--appiy ot eqtirpn:eiif t'lifs ile could not say the same ot' other matter.... Every artjo Jia.d to he requisitioned from _tae Ornnan*?' 1 Department at Vi ellington. ami tiie i cquirition passed throng!, innuturrab.e hands, long delays resunh’g. He suggested that trie Com-nj-As;o'i should trace tr.e rr>nr=p ni one • >: Lis requi.-itions and set an est.mate on the value ot the time oi the various persons v;!m ’land.ed it. It might then he possible to compare the cost cl the article with that ot the same article procurr-a by a civilian in ordinary busmen. Hvjic-riyn-al'v had not power to <nenrt a «hi!line;, even w?b**n sr<*»'’!* v-'t-rr uvcicntiy nee i ’il. He invoiced a yrate hot torn ending I . widen took eight or nine day- io -. the delay causing a eonsb'l.-r ■!>> 'va-'e of coal. Referring tn p::v. tanrain Kewish stated that several Home Sers ice men under h.< command wished to get out on the sioiimi that their tamilies could not live? on their pay. These men drew 5 - a day with 1 - a day for their wives and 9d a day for each child. [They were lodged, clothed and

rationed. Regular R.N.Z.A. men who drew 7. - a day with bouse and other allowances and the war bonus complained that their clothing allowance of 2- a month in lieu of uniform was inadequate. The sitting was adjourned for the Commission to visit the Colonial Ammunition Company’s works. TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Auckland. Feb. in. At the Defence F.xpendi’nre Commission this morning, evidence was invert with reference tn receipt, issue and waste in connection with the rationing of the troops and. difficulties in the system were pointed out. Further complaints were made by officers of one being allowed to expend trifling sums on urgent, necessities.