HOME-TRAINING OF OFFICERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15676, 31 January 1913, Page 2

HOME-TRAINING OF OFFICERS

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES AND EXPENSES. DEPARTMENTAL RETURN. (Fboh Otje Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, January 30. In August last, on the motion of Mr Okey, Parliament asked for a return relating to certain officers of the New Zealand Permanent Forces sent to England for training—tho salaries paid to these officers, the specific purpose for which they were sent, and tho allowances granted them while absent from the dominion. Tho information asked for is set out in a tabulated statement printed after tho Houso rose and published by the Government Printer to-day. The chief point of interest b in the scale of allowances ■which, it is stated, are to bo reduoed in future. Instead of a daily allowance for 365 days the payments will be in respect of actual expenditure incurred. In the cage of Colonel A. W. Robin, at present representing headquarters in London, an allowanco of 15s per diem for 365 days is paid, an aggregation of £270 odd, in addition to his official salary of £750. Travelling expenses and allowances on such occasions as Colonel Robin is detailed for duty by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff are paid by the Imperial Government, and on these occasions no payment is made by the New Zealand Government. A 15s rate was also granted in the caso of Licntenant-colonel Bauehop during his period of instruction at the Staff College and of the late Lieutenant-colonel Abbott when attached for instruction to the 6th Infantry Brigade at Aldershot. Their official salaries aro £575 respectively. _ A lGs rato, equal to £180 odd, was allowed in t'he case of the following officers:—Major 1. W. Mac Donald (salary £479), Major M. M. Gardner (£350), Major G. S. Richardson (£400), Major H. R. Potter (£350), Captain R, J. S. Seddon (£3501, Captain F. Symon (£350), Captain R. B. Smythe (£o50), Lieutenant W. M'G. Turnbull (£250), Lieutenant A. H. Burn (£250), Lieutenant M. L. Garland (£250), Lieutenant T. T. Standish (£250). In tho case of Captain Seddon and of Lieutenants Turnbull, Burr, Garland, and Standish the allowanco was reduced 7s 6d .per diorn each if free (quarters were provided All theee officers were 6ent Home at various intervals between November, 1910. and April, 1912, and for specified periods. Major MacDonaJd, who left in December, 1911, and wa6 due to return in October, 1912, and Captain Seddon, who left in March, 1911, and was due to return in October, 1912, have since obtained an extensioi of their training. In addition to these, four subaltern officers.—viz., Lieutenants W. W. A. Burn, A. H. Piper,- J. L. H. Turner, and H. A. Davis, each drawing £4)0 a year in salary—arc receiving £100 each a year (consolidated) during their absence in England. Out of this allowanco they have to pay travelling expenses, hire of lodgings ar.d camp furniture when at schools of instruction or at manoeuvres.