STATUTORY RULES.
1912. No. 50.
PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1911.
Financial and Allowance Regulations (Provisional) for the Military Forces of the Commonwealth—Addition—Regulation 86a.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following Regulation under the Defence Act 1903-1911 should come into immediate operation, and make the Regulation to come into operation forthwith as a Provisional Regulation.
Dated this twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and twelve.
DENMAN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
G. F. PEARCE.
Financial and allowance regulations (Provisional) for the Military Forces of the Commonwealth.
Addition.
After Regulation 86 (c) add new Regulation—
Messengers.
86a. Candidates for appointment shall be either—
Class A.—Youths not exceeding eighteen years of age who have passed the Commonwealth Public Service Examination for the General Division, or its equivalent in standard, are certified to be medically fit, and produce satisfactory references from their Area Officers and previous employers, if any.
Class B.—Members or ex-members of the Defence Force whose ages do not exceed 50 years, who are certified to be medically fit and sufficiently active to perform the duties required of them, and produce satisfactory references.
C.2568.—Price 3d.
Commandants may recommend that vacancies in their districts be filled by the appointment of candidates under Class A or Class B, and shall submit reasons for so recommending.
For Class A application is to be made to the Commonwealth Public Service Inspector of the State concerned for a list of qualified youths who are available for employment, and a selection may be made by the District Commandant.
A list of applicants for appointment under Class B shall be kept in each Military District, and full particulars of previous service shall be given when submitting names for appointment.
The Permanent Head of the Department will submit recommendations for appointments at Head-quarters, similar procedure, as above, being followed.
Rates of pay.
Grade. | Minimum Salary of Grade. | Increments (Annual). | Maximum Salary of Grade. | Remarks. |
Class A. | £ | £ | £ | |
1 | 39 | 13 8 | 60 | To be advanced to Grade 2 after 1 year’s service at maximum |
2 | 72 | 12 12 14 | 110 | Provided that a Messenger of twenty-one years of age or over may be paid salary at the rate of £110 per annum, but the payment of such salary under this provision shall not be taken into consideration for purposes of seniority or future advancement |
| | | | To be advanced to Grade 3 on completion of 4 year’s service in Grade 2 |
Class B. | | | | |
3 | 120 | 6 | 138 | After at least 2 years’ service at maximum, may be granted a further increment of £6, and after an additional 2 years’ service, a further increment of £6 |
Appointment under Class A shall be on probation for six months.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by J. Kemp, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Overview
The Statutory Rules of 1912, specifically Statutory Rule No. 50, introduce provisional regulations concerning financial and allowance matters for the military forces of the Commonwealth. Enacted under the Defence Act 1903-1911, these regulations were issued due to the immediate need to establish clear guidelines for the compensation and appointment of messengers within the military. The Governor-General, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, authorised the immediate operation of these provisional regulations to address this urgency. The policy objective of these regulations is to ensure that messengers are appropriately qualified and compensated, thereby maintaining operational efficiency within the military forces.
Scope and Application
The Provisional Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1911 govern the financial and allowance regulations for military forces of the Commonwealth, specifically addressing the appointment and pay of messengers within the military. These regulations apply to two categories of candidates: Class A, which includes youths aged up to eighteen who have passed a relevant public service examination and are medically fit, and Class B, which includes current or former Defence Force members aged up to fifty who meet similar fitness and reference criteria. The regulations outline the process for applying and being appointed, detailing how Commandants can recommend candidates based on their districts and the need to consult lists of qualified youths or service records. Furthermore, the pay scales and increments for messengers are specified, with Class A messengers initially starting at £13 and progressing through grades, and Class B messengers beginning at £31 and receiving increments after a certain period of service. The regulations are designed to ensure a structured and merit-based approach to appointing and compensating military messengers.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of these Provisional Regulations (Regulation 86a) introduce specific provisions for the appointment and remuneration of messengers within the Military Forces of the Commonwealth. Under Regulation 86a, there are two classes of candidates eligible for messenger positions. Class A candidates are youths not older than eighteen who have passed the Commonwealth Public Service Examination for the General Division, are medically fit, and possess satisfactory references. Class B candidates are current or former Defence Force members not older than fifty, who are medically fit, sufficiently active for the role, and have satisfactory references. Commandants can recommend filling vacancies with candidates from either class and must provide reasons for their recommendations.
These regulations impose several obligations and requirements on the parties involved. Commandants must submit recommendations for filling vacancies, providing reasons for their suggestions. They must also ensure that candidates from Class A are selected from a list provided by the Commonwealth Public Service Inspector of the relevant State. For Class B candidates, commandants must maintain a list of applicants in each Military District and provide detailed information about previous service when submitting names for appointment. The Permanent Head of the Department must follow a similar process for appointments at headquarters.
There are no specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences outlined in the text for breaches of these regulations. The regulations primarily focus on establishing the criteria for appointing messengers and the associated pay scales, without detailing consequences for non-compliance. The text provides a clear outline of the appointment process and salary increments but does not mention any repercussions for failure to adhere to these guidelines.