STATUTORY RULES.
1926. No. 68.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1918.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1918, to come into operation on and from 1st April, 1926.
Dated this twenty-seventh day of May, 1926.
STONEHAVEN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
NEVILLE HOWSE,
Minister of State for Defence.
———
Financial and Allowance Regulations for the Australian Military Forces and Senior Cadets.
(Statutory Rules 1921, No. 82, as amended to this date.)
Amendment.
Regulation 39 is cancelled and the following substituted therefor:—
“39 (a). Appointments to Staffs or Commands are graded for Staff or Command pay as set out hereunder and officers of the Staff Corps formally appointed thereto, whether temporarily or otherwise, may, whilst holding the appointment, and subject to the necessary provision being made by Parliament, be paid the rates shown in addition to pay of rank as authorized in Regulation 38.
C.7200.—Price 3d.
Grade. | Rate per Annum. | Appointment. |
Army Head-quarters, Schools, Dépôts &c. | Royal Military College. | Field Army. | Fixed Machinery. |
1a | £ 90 | Colonels on the Staff; Colonels and Staff Officers, 1st Grade, General and Administrative Staff. | Staff Officer, 1st Grade— Director of Military Art | | |
1b | 80 | ..................... | ..................... | Staff Officers, 1st Grade — G (General Staff), A (Adjutant-General) and Q (Quartermaster-General) Branches | District Base Commandants, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Military Districts. Commander, Field Troops and District Base Commandant. 6th Military District Staff Officers, 1st Grade— A (Adjutant-General), and Q (Quartermaster-General) Branches |
2a | 70 | Staff Officers, 2nd Grade— G (General-Staff). A (Adjutant General) and Q. (Quartermaster-General) Branches Representative Q (Quartermaster-General) Branch, Lon-don. Director of Works | Staff Officers, 2nd Grade— Instructor in Tactics and Topography | | |
2b | 60 | Chief Instructor— Artillery Schools of Instruction Small Arms School Central Training Dépôt..... | ..................... | Staff Officer, 2nd Grade— G (General Staff), A (Adjutant-General) and Q (Quartermaster-General) Branches | Commanding Officer and Staff Officers Artillery. 2nd and 3rd District Bases Staff Officers, 2nd Grade— G (General Staff), A (Adjutant-General) and Q (Quartermaster General) Branches |
3a | 50 | Staff Officer, 3rd Grade— Inspector-General’s Branch— G (General Staff), A (Adjutant-General), Q (Quarter-master-General) Branches | Adjutant, graded as Staff Officer | | |
3b | 40 | ..................... | ..................... | Staff Officers. 3rd Grade— A (Adjutant-General) and Q (Quartermaster-General) Branches | Staff Officers, 3rd Grade— A (Adjutant-General) and Q (Quartermaster-General) Branches |
(b) Appointments of Colonels on the Staff and Colonels to General and Administrative Staffs shall be subject to the approval of the Governor-General in Council and shall be notified in the Commonwealth Gazette. Appointments of other Staff Officers shall be subject to the approval of the Military Board and shall be notified in Australian Army Orders.
(c) An officer of the Staff Corps who was graded as a Staff Officer and was in receipt of Staff pay on the 31st March, 1926, under the provisions of the Regulations then in force but whose appointment is not graded as a Staff appointment by this regulation, shall continue to receive such Staff pay for the remainder of the tenure of his present appointment.
(d) In addition to the provision of Staff pay in paragraph (a) above, officers of the Staff Corps holding appointments of Brigade Major may from 1st April, 1926, be graded as Staff Officers, Grade 3b, and may receive Staff pay accordingly at the rate of £40 per annum, provided, however, that such officers shall not be so graded and paid unless and until vacancies exist and funds become available upon the authorized establishment of such grading and such officers will be appointed to such grading in the order of seniority.”
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1926, No. 68, made under the Defence Act 1903-1918, are a set of regulations designed to establish the financial and allowance regulations for the Australian Military Forces and senior cadets, effective from 1 April 1926. Enacted by the Governor-General, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, these regulations were intended to address the need for a structured financial system for military staff and command appointments. This legislative instrument serves to outline the various grades of staff appointments and their corresponding pay rates, ensuring that military personnel receive appropriate compensation based on their roles and responsibilities within the forces.
Scope and Application
These regulations apply to officers of the Staff Corps within the Australian Military Forces, including those who are formally appointed to staffs or commands. The regulations specify the financial grading and pay rates for various staff positions, including Colonels on the Staff and Staff Officers of different grades. These provisions apply across the Commonwealth of Australia and are governed by the Defence Act 1903-1918. The regulations outline specific appointments and conditions under which officers may be paid staff pay in addition to their rank pay. Certain appointments, such as those of Colonels on the Staff and Colonels to General and Administrative Staffs, require the approval of the Governor-General in Council and must be notified in the Commonwealth Gazette. Other staff officer appointments require the approval of the Military Board and must be notified in Australian Army Orders. These regulations supersede previous regulations, and officers who were previously graded as Staff Officers and receiving Staff pay will continue to do so until the end of their current appointment, provided their current appointment is not re-graded under these regulations.
Key Provisions
These Regulations, made under the Defence Act 1903-1918, detail the financial and allowance regulations for the Australian Military Forces and senior cadets, effective from 1 April 1926. Regulation 39 has been amended to set out new pay rates for various grades of Staff Officers within the Army. These grades range from 1a to 3b, with each grade specifying a particular rate of pay based on the nature and seniority of the appointment. For example, Colonels on the Staff and Staff Officers in the General and Administrative Staffs are graded at 1a and 1b, receiving £90 and £80 per annum respectively. Appointments to these grades must be approved by the Governor-General in Council or the Military Board, as specified, and announced in the Commonwealth Gazette or Australian Army Orders, as appropriate. Officers who were receiving Staff pay prior to 31 March 1926 will continue to do so until the end of their current appointment, regardless of whether their new appointment is graded under these Regulations.
These Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. Firstly, appointments to Staff positions must adhere to the specified grades and pay rates, with higher-grade positions requiring approval from the Governor-General in Council and lower-grade positions requiring approval from the Military Board. Secondly, officers in receipt of Staff pay prior to the amendments must continue to receive it until their current appointment ends. Additionally, the Regulations mandate that officers holding the position of Brigade Major can be graded as Staff Officers, Grade 3b, and receive corresponding pay, subject to the availability of vacancies and funding. These obligations ensure that the pay structure is transparent, consistent, and fairly administered.
Breaches of these Regulations may lead to various consequences, depending on the nature and severity of the violation. Although the Regulations themselves do not explicitly detail specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance, breaches of military regulations generally can result in disciplinary action under the Defence Act 1903-1918 or other relevant Acts. Such actions might include fines, demotion, or dismissal from service, depending on the circumstances and the discretion of the relevant authorities. Furthermore, if the breach involves financial impropriety or misuse of public funds, it could also lead to criminal charges, with penalties varying based on the severity of the offence.