SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 311, 31 December 1915, Page 7

SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES.

RATION' MONEY NOT PAID. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. "AYe feel strongly that the Government has not treated us fairly at all; in fact, that it has been playing fast and loose with us." This statement was made, to-day by a Boldier who returned wounded from the front at the end of October, and who said he spoke on behalf ot a number of others in the same position as himself. The main complaint on which he ba6ed his strictures was in regard to the non-payment of the mossing allowance of two shillings per day promised to those wounded men who do not have to go into hospital but are able to live in their own homes while recovering from injuries. He described his own case, saying it wns typical of many others. After spending three months at Samoa with the advance party he obtained permission to return to New Zealand, and enlisted with the Second Reinforcements. He fought on Gallipoli for a little over three months, was wounded, and came back in the Tofua on October 2G. As he was not ill enough to go into hos-pital, he was living with his. wife and children, whom he had been endeavouring to keep on hia pay allowance of 5/ per day. Though definitely promised an additional 2/ a day as ration money— which promise was repeated by an officer of the transport—and though repeated application had been made for it, this allowance had never been paid. All they could hear of it was an undertaking that payments would begin on January 1. "What good is that to us," he demanded. "It may be all right for those wounded New Zealand men who arc returning now, but what about us who have been here for months? Arc we not entitled to the allowance just the same as the rest of themi I can tell you that 5/ a day ,is little enough for a man to live on, especially when he has a wife and children to keep. There is not a penny to spare for luxuries, not even a pipeful of tobacco. If we cannot get what we are definitely promised, we will have to do something to enlist the aid of the public."