PAYMENTS TO SOLDIERS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16519, 10 May 1919, Page 8

PAYMENTS TO SOLDIERS.

RETROSPECTIVE ALLOWANCES

(press association telegram.)

WELLINGTON. May 9.

Referring to the announcement in tho '"Soldiers' Guido" regarding retrospective payments. Mr D. J. B. Seymour, general secretary of the Nor Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, states that tho Association wished to make it quito clear that the Minister still denied his responsibility in the matter of such allowances to children. While normally allowances are. he says, payable as from the date of entering camp, retrospective allowances are to bo payable only from tlu date of embarkation.

Sir James Allen to-day made the following statement regarding Mi Seymour's criticism: "I note Mr D. Seymour, general secretary of thp Returned Soldiers' Association, in commenting on the retrospective allowances that are to be paid to tho wives of soldiers of the New Zealaud Expeditionary Force, refers to the condition that the allowances are pavablo ay from the date of embarkation as a characteristic pettifogging effort of the Defence Department to minimise tlv> amount right.lv duo to them. This ctitieism if? Quito unjustified. That condition - lias not boon imposed beeauso of any desire to limit the monetary payment, but to meet the difficulties due to the very incomplete state of tho early records of the Expeditionary Force camps. The records for tho Main Hodv and the earlier reinforcements do not indicate tho status of the soldier: that is, they do not indicate whether a man was in camp as ■l fit soldier due to embark for active service, or whether he was an unfit man encaged on home service. The only evidence of tho active service status in the case of soldiers of the Main T?odv and the early reinforcements is the fact of their embarkation. That is the real reason why the condition making the retrospective allowance payable as from embarkation has been imposed, as it eives the only clear and de'inite line of distinction between active and homo service. Tt. might be possible in these eases foi the pav branch to trace each man's history from the old records in order to ascertain the date when he entered

but Ibi« pnotiin- would in mnnv instances lie inconclusive and would cortninly prevent retrospective grants being available in tho first week in .Tmir> As a natter of fart, it would delav ppymont for months."