SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 223, 18 September 1915, Page 9

SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS.

THAT DECLARATION. MR ALLEN EXPLAINS. An interesting letter bearing upon the I difficulty which ha« existed with regard to the cUimiii- of the continued allotnunts to the dependents of the soldiers I killed in action owing to the absence of clear and definite instructions as to • ihe procedure necessary to prevent tern I porarv cessation 'of the payments has be,:, 'received by Mr V. ".I. Lamer. | chairman of the Relief Committee of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War I'ol.of Association. As pointed out in i.. s;„ r " 0 ( a (e,v days ag... the Government has now amended the stipulation that the recipient of the soldier* allotment shall furnish ploof of rda tionship. but it still re.)'.ii-e.> evidence that the allottee is dependent upon the money. Owing to many of the dependents not understanding the nature of Ihe representations that should be made t., the Department in order to obtain the promised continuance for _ti weeks after the death of the soldier, in many cases I the:.- has been an interval between the ''stopping of the payment on the ! death of tiie soldier nnd the grant Jing of the Government concession to >j th...,. in need of the money. In view lof this Mr Lamer recently' w rote su;. giT-tiii.' tli.it the payment should be continued m the ordinary way without cs sation until the Department was satis ,'tied in any particular ease that tbe

I recipient was not dependent upon the i | To this the Minister for Defence Ithe Hon. .las. Alletil has replied, pointing' 'out that with every warrant for the \ s'la-t payment is sent a memorandum.] advising the payee that if he or she is j ' I dependent on the soldier a statement should be furnished showing the posi ' I tion. If this statement is forwarded ''promptly il should reach the Defence .'lOllice before the next monthly payment 'is due, nnd no break in payment will '.then occur. The allotment is continued I aulotua-tioally to a soldier's widow when ',a note of the marriage is contained in the personal Mc. The Minister expresses ', regret that the payment cannot be con 'i turned in every ease, on account of tinfact that the allotment Is so frefiucntly male out to a relative who is in no way .' dependent upon the soldier. The memorandum alluded to by Mr Allen informs the payee that if he or sin-is a dependent it is necesosry to make out a declaration to that effect before a Justice of the Peace, setting out the firrum-tancn*. of the payee, which must be forwarded to the QuartermasterGeneral (41, Defence Department. Brandon street, Wellington. As has been pointed out. the main >' trouble has arisen through ignorance of "'ithe procedure in making the declaration, '•'and Mr Larncr has accordingly again '" I written to the Minister suggesting that 0 the whole matter be simplified by a form r " of declaration being sent with the final ,l | payment and the declaration. I