CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 111, 12 May 1943, Page 2

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

SOLDIERS AND LEGISLATION To The Editor The need for a close watch on legislation by soldiers and their representatives is exemplified in the recent measure adopted by order-in-council. This means that a man exempted from service in the army or otherwise may at present be earning £8 for forty hoUrs per week. If his services are required in essential industry and the ruling rate (which may be above the award rate) is only £6 weekly, then the taxpayers of New Zealand will have to pay him a bonus of £2 weekly. A soldier, however, taken from his usual occupation—or one who has volunteered, is given 7/6 a day for any number of hours, no overtime, dirt money, etc. Why are not his wages made up to £8 weekly if he earned that amount prior to joining the army? It is clear that the proportion of trades hall representatives in the Cabinet is out of all proportion to soldiers' representatives. So we find that while the Government listens , to the representatives of the 175,000 members of the Federation of Labour. Thfe 200,000 members of the services have no one at present to voice their side to-day. To-morrow may be another day. HUGH G. KENDAL, President N.Z. Fighting Forces League Political.