GRATUITY MILLIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 221, 17 September 1919, Page 14

GRATUITY MILLIONS.

~ AND OTHEK BENETITS. WHAT A SOLDIER CAS" DKAW. BACK SEPARATION PAT. While it is very difficult to average up the views of returned soldiers in Auckland on the much discussed question of gratuities, it is quite safe to Bay that the considered opinions of the men do - not support the demands made by the recent Wellington deputation to llinis- ~ ters, the irreducible minimum being Z something that would give_£lso to the - man with two years' service to -iis •" credit- Naturally every man wants as " much as he can get, but there is not the ; slightest suggestion of pushing extravagant claims upon the notice of the Government.

One point on which the men are agreed is that the rate should be a flat one—no distinction to be made between officers and other ranks. It -was reported that the Minister for Defence had convinced Cabinet that military precedence and other reasons were against such a democratic proposal, but the latest information is that the influence of -private members been such, -that the flat rate has been approved. It i? suggested by oar Parliamentary correspondent that ~ the Cabinet has practically approved a. Z. suggestion to give a flat rate of about -- 9/ a -week per man. and this would mean •■ that about £ 6,000,000 -would be absorbed. HUGE FIGURES. In view of the very ideas of most people oa the question a~ gratuities and repatriation benefits it may be as well to point out what immense sums of - money are involved in making adequate provision for the 100,000 men who comprised S«b- Zealand's Expeditionary Forces. The extravagant demand for £150 for two years' active service would for instance, have meant a sum of about £ 15,000,000, which is actually more than the fixed deposits in the banks of the Do-minion—a-bo-ut a dnitlion pound 3in excess as as m-itter of fact. ™ Some soldiers are apparently -undtr the m impreesion that the gratuity should be - something sufficiently large to esta-blis-h JJ a man in life, wihile others have always looked on the promised sum more as a __ gift. Gratuity is the euphemistic name -_ for what used to be called "blood--mon'ev'' j, m the days of the old army, -wEiich was always looked on as something over and above any ordinary emoluments, and -was regarded very much as a bonus would be in business. A GENEROUS SCALE. Special provision has been made under •j repatriation schemes for putting a man ■£ back on the track he left when the call Z. to war came, and it must be admitted 5 that the scale is most liberal—probably g the most liberal in the Empire. When ii jjj soldier has finished his term, some of • • the benefits of which he may avail himn self are as follotvs:—

Twenty-eight days' leave on full pay, with free pass over all New Zealand railways, and meals at railway restaurants. Mufti allowance of five guineas. Free educational or vocational training with, sustenance allowance. Advance up to £300 to purchase a business. Advance of £50 for buying furniture or tools of trade. Advance up to £ 1000 for the purchase .-,: of a house. Advance up to £2500 for the purchase Z of land, implements, etc. - Preference to returned men in land £ ballots. Pensions and medical attention for disabled men. RETROSPECTm: ALLOWANCES. And it must be remembered that all soldiers can now receive the benefit of ■ - the higher separation rates granted durg ing the later years of the war in the _ case of wives and children. If we allow r i-1 a week as a fair value for the weekly £ keep of a soldier, we find that the pri- - vatea pay works out according to the ~ following scale:—

Single man, 55/ a week. Married man, with wife only, 76/ a ■week.

Mar cl e i man, with wife and °ne child, 86/6 a week. Married man., with -nrife and two children, 97/ a week. Married man. with wife and three children, 107/6 a week. -Married man, with wife and four children, 118/ a week. ~ Carried man with wife and five children, 12S/ a -week. ~ ™ an had , ei S ht children he would be drawing at the rate of 160/ a week For each rfra chi - d he £ . 10/ a week. Among other allowances yeek, and there was financial assistance m the payment of taxes, insurance etc -Men are drawing there retrospective allowances for wife and children Sin some cases the amount involved is nearly A GOOD SUGGESTION. Speaking as a senior officer, Mr. G R S g Sala' ,f - dmoCratic c like " onT Ifih 6 Tate ehouJd be a fiat te. thJ t + '- aS, ° f COar3e - not Pitied to tie gratuny a≤ a right , b t j. VHf 1 * 011 ° y the couS trv of the a*t XJ m !f h3d lOSt »PPort™i«es for -hieh no adequate repayment .ovid 6e Mr. Hutchinson suggested that where : would hi mc n ertain "blfeations, it --would be an excellent plan to tmv the