SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16217, 21 May 1918, Page 4

SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES

A DUNEDIN COMPLAINT

(SPECIAL TO * 'THE I'RESS.") DUXEDIN, May 20-

At to-day's meeting of the Ota go Patriotic Association the Dun'edin Returned Soldiers' Association wrote asking the support of the Association to their demand that the payment of increases in allovraoccs for soldiers be made retrospective to the outbi'eak of the war. The Hon. J. T. Paul said his experience ;is to mode allowances generally wus that the allowances as they appeared, ill the J'ross nnd on paper did not always worn out satisruetoriiy in actual practice. Sometimes we were'apt I to be a bit Pharisaical in making comparisons with other countries as to allowances, livei-ytiiing was not r.ight in New Zealand. ' He had in his mind's eye tlic case; of a widowed mother, who; applied a year ago fo/ her allowance, ar,d had been passed cn from one offi-; cial to the other, one of the delays being over- the niiittor of proving that | she was a widow. These matters would never ho '-afi.sfact-cry until we had local' a;ln.iu:stration. Everything had to go ihroagli \\ ellii gton and thai eaa.delay ai d worry fco women who weie already cienily worried about their buys at the front.

The application was rslVrrcd to the Sol -.liers' and Welfare Committee for a'repait.