(2)
ENCLOSURE No. 2.
512
represented to the Government and to the Secretary of
tate in all cases where its interests are concerned.
It is unfortunately the fixed belief of the Service
that such has not been done in the past, judging from
results in at least one recent instance, vis, that of
the House Allowance Scheme. It is considered, rightly or
wrongly, that that Scheme is faulty in the following
respects: -
(a).Only about one half of the service have
derived any benefit therefrom.
(b).The distribution amongst those who do parti-
cipate is not on a strictly logical basis:
some junior officers for instance deriving
greater benefit than their seniors.
(a). No allowance is made (according to the
Government's interpretation of the Boheme)
in respect of houses for which officere are
responsible as regards rent and taxes while
absent on leave,
(d).The Scheme tends to encourage deceit and
dishonesty. And
(e).It tends to encourage extravagance, inasmuch
as it is now more advantageous for two
officers to live in two separate houses, where
it would be a considerable temporary conven-
ience for them to live together; and it dis-
courages an officer from disputing an in-
crease of rent(at the instance of a knowing
landlord) so long as his allowance under the
rules would cover the increase.
It is submitted that if the Government had had the assist.
ance of a Comittee to discuss the cheme thoroughly
before a final decision was arrived at, such alleged
mistakes wouldhave been obviated, and at all events the
Secretary of state would have had an opportunity of