MISSING SOLDIERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 301, 20 December 1941, Page 9

MISSING SOLDIERS

DEPENDENTS' GRANTS minister clears position (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday. In view of the fact that dependents' allowances and allotments of members of the New Zealand forces are continued for three mbnths after they are reported as missing, the Dominion Executive Committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. has made representations to the Government for an extension of this period to six months. In reply, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, explained that the period of time before death is varies with the nature of particular cases. 4 "The normal period," the Minister stated, "is six months, but this may be reduced where there is unofficial evidence of death, or increased if there is good reason to suppose that the individual may still be alive. Each case is taken on its merits." This information, states the report supplied by the N.Z.R.S.A., clarifies the position in connection with the continuance of dependents' allowances and allotments for three months, followed by the granting of war pensions to dependants at the end of that period. If the individual is subsequently reported to have been killed the war pension to his dependents continues, but if he is found to be "not now missing," or "prisoner of war," the war pension ceases, and dependents revert to army allowances and allotment. It was reported that over 1000 exservicemen from the present war had become financial members of the association. The financial membership at November 31 showed an increase of 2500 compared with the total at the same date last year. Each of the recently returned sick« or wounded servicemen was interviewed by a member of the executive committee, and the men were loud in J leir praise of the manner in which they were looked after during the homeward trip by all those in,"oivtroL.