SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 142, 15 June 1917, Page 3

SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES.

THE EXTRA GRANT SYSTEM. NEED FOR PUBLICITY. Tie burdens willingly borne by the Patriotic Funds of the. Dominion are bein £ considerably lightened by the Uovernment's re—nt oono__ionis to soldiers. Men dicschareed from the training <-niiip= arc now given a niont-b's pay. and applications for relief from sin-h men are now ran- in Auckland. The Ttinnth*= pay is sufficient to tide them over the interval before they can get work apain, and also helps the.m to rest and recover from any indisposition.

"I do'n't think that enough publicity has been _iven to the (,'ovoro-nicnt's financial —intatiiT .scheme," said Mr. V. tl. Lanier i vice-pre-iiloiit oi the Association . in an interview this morning. "If a .-..ldicr takes the trouble he can get a grant to help him to pay rent. taxes, interest, insurance premiums, and other e-urre-nt expenses. Still, many people tell Us that they have never ■heard of thi-. Imc good point about the ■scheme is that it is retrospective, and covers all liabilities contracted before the passing of the. Military Service Act. 191b. If a soldier now at the front has not applied for help, his wife may do so. All cases are dealt with by a Board in Wellington, and when I was last there the cha.irman told mc that the number he had handled ran nearly into four figure--. Naturally help of this kind relieves the Patriotic- Fund* considerably.

"Let mo give two typical cases.'' continued Mr. Lamer. "A man who has been earning £4 a week enlists. He allots his wife 3/6 a day out of his 5/-, making £1 4/6 a week. The wife draws 7/- a week separation allowance, with a further 10/6 a week for two children, making !icr total income £2 2/-. Tbe husband has bought a house, and has bocn paying 23/- a week, principal and interest. Obviously the wife cannot pay so much. hut. by securing a further grant, she may keep her home going as before. Again, a married man with no children enlist*, and makes his wife the same allotment. .1 6 a day. With her separation allowance the wife's income is £1 11/6, but there is a life insurance premium of £20 a year to be found. When her husband was at home, earning £:l 10'- a week, there was no difficulty about this, but she ennnot find S/- "a week out of £1 11/6. Here the. Ooverntnent grant. enables the policy to be kept in force. We intend to review all our relief cases." concluded Mr. Lamer, "and to see that benefits of this kind arc obtained wherever possible."