WAR GRATUITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 192, 14 August 1919, Page 7

WAR GRATUITIES.

(To the Editor.i j Sir, —With regard to Sir James Allen's j reply to Mr. J. D. Sievwright respecting | the above matter, and the comparative I rates paid by the British and Canadian . Governments to officers, warrant officers, j non-commissioned officers and men, does | it not seem unjust, taking the case of a j British officer, that if he served one year j he gets 124 days' pay as gratuity? If he served one year and a month, or even a , day, he gets an extra 02 days' pay, as ; compared with the private, who gets £5 for his first year, and if he served a year and a month or day £5 10/. The officer gets £110 5/—the private £5 10/1 The latter's gratuity is less than one-sixth of his daily pay; the officer gets full pay! In the Canadian Forces a better system j obtains. The gratuity includes depenI ents too, but I suggest that in a democrai tic country like New Zealand a flat rate. j payable to all ranks alike, would be the | most equitable arrangement, and any ! schedule on British lines would be deeply resented. Officers got extra pay and ' allowances for being officers, whether they were in the front line or not, but no\» that peace is signed, why should there be any discrepancy at all between officers and men? A man's life was as valuable to himself and dear ones as an officer's. Most of us were volunteers, giving up our professions, businesses, trades and occupations to do our bit. Officers received extra pay and allowanaces for their addl- ' tional responsibilities, but in our democratic army they made no greater sacrl- , flees than many a private. In many . eases they never had, nor ever will have, | such "risky" jobs again. Everyone did i his bit, and we established a reputation .'of which we are justly proud; but it was r earned by officers and men alike. Com I' parisons are odious, so it is to be hopec .: that whatever the gratuity may be a flal » rate of so much per day will be paid t( - \ officers and men alike, thus avoiding mvi • dious distinctions. —I am. etc., II FOUR YEARS.