THE TERRITORIAL FORCES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22466, 29 July 1938, Page 12

THE TERRITORIAL FORCES

Increased Pay And Allowances THREE SERVICES AFFECTED Announcement Made By Minister TFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON. July 28. "In a public address delivered by me at Dnrgnvillp last May. when I dealt comprehensively with the Government's defence programme." the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) said in the House of Representatives to-day. "I mentioned that other important measures were receiving consideration, and that an announcement would be made later concerning them. At that time attention was being given to the terms of service, pay. and amenities of the territorial force, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Territorial Air Force, and I wish now to furnish the House with particulars of the improved conditions of service which the Government has decided to bring into operation. "The existing rates of pay for the territorial force were fixed in 1911. when the compulsory training scheme was commenced, and no alteration was made in them when the changeover to the present system of voluntary service was made in 1931. The scales of pay decided on for the territorial force will represent an all-round increase of 3s a day. and will be as follows: Territorial Force A Dav. Private .. ..070 Corporal .. ..076 Sergeant . 0 8 0 Sergeant-major and Stafl-sergeant .086 Lieutenant and Sec-ond-Lieutenant .. 0 11 0 Captain .. ..0130 Major .. .. 0 15 0 Lieutenant-colonel .. 0 16 0 Colonel .. ..140 Cainp Allowance "As a special inducement to men to carry out the prescribed training camps and courses, and at the same time to compensate them in some measure for any loss ol a camp allowance of ss* a day will in future be paid to territorials who carry out their training The i.llou-unce will be paid both to : : nictrs nhd to other ranks. It will bi- payable for the days actually spent in the annual camps and at ol instruction. In the past it has been a source of dissatisfaction tliat no provision has existed enabling pay of rank to be granted territorials for the days occupied by them in travelling to and from camps and courses. It has been decided that where travelling necessitates absences from employment over and above the actual time occupied at the camp or course, pay of rank, but no camp allowance, is to be allowed for it. "Up to the present it has not been possible to refund expenses incurred in attending evening parades, except in certain special circumstances, although for camps and bivouacs free transport from the place of assembly has been provided. .In the future a grant will be made to any trainee of any service living beyond reasonable walking distance of his place of parade of a sum equivalent to his tram, train, or bus tare. Where such I forms of transport are not available, i the equivalent value of the fares is ! to be granted or, if this be not practicable, payment may be made of such amount as is considered reasonable, not exceeding lid a mile. The Government feels that no trainee should be out of pocket as the result of atI tendance at evening parades. This is I a principle Ihat has been accepted m England and Australia. Grants Doubled "A sum of £3OO a year is made available for the four Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve divisions. It is expended by the divisional commanding officers and the director of reserves in promoting the interests of tlu units in various ways. In the territorial force a regimental funds grant on the basis of 4s for each officer and man classed as efficient has hitherto been authorised These funds are administered by regimental committees of officers and men, and are expended in providing sports and recreational facilities, the promotion of rifle shooting, etc. It has now been decided to double the regimental funds grant of 4s for each efficient trainee of the territorial force. Of the new grant, 6s a year will be paid to the units concerned by progress payments, if necessary, for the purports already mentioned. The balance of 2s a year will be paid into a central fur-d under the control of the Army Board, which will be expended for purposes such as the holding of army football, boxing, and rifle-shooting chamoionships, matches and competitions with other services, and the improvement of playing grounds, etc. The provision of regimental funds Will, the Government hopes, encourage esprit de corps in the units, and by catering for the love of games and sports in which the average young New Zealander is interested, create an interest in military training in the minds of many young men who at present see no inducement to come forward and join the units. "In line with the encouragement of sports and games is the decision to install gymnastic equipment in the drill halls in use for territorial training. It is i intended to provide more funds for this purpose in order that young men may be encouraged to keep themselves physically fit. The Air Force "The first territorial air squadron was established in Wellington at the beginning of the year, and the scales of pay to be adopted are designed, broadly speaking, to put that force on the same footing as the territorial force. The new scales are to be: — Aircraftsmen (second class). 6s a day. Aircraftsmen (first class), 7s. Leading Aircraftsman, Bs. Corporal, 9s. Sergeant, 10s. Flight Sergeant, 10s 6d. Pilot Officer (flying), 15s. Pilot Officer (non-flying), 10s. Flying Officer (flying), 18s. Flying Officer (non-flying), 12s. Flight Lieutenant (flying), 235. Flight Lieutenant (non-flying), 13s. Squadron Leader (flying), 255. Squadron Leader (non-flying), 15s. Wing Commander (flying), 28s. Wing Commander (non-flying), 18s. Group Captain (flying), 345. Group Captain (non-flying), 243. "Airmen required to fly as part of their daily duties will be eligible for crew pay at 2s a day. As a general rule air personnel are slightly older than territorial, and are qualified tradesmen. Consequently the noncommissioned officers receive a slightly higher rate of pay than the equivalent ranks in the army. The new rates will be granted for attend-,

ances at both camp and out-of-camp training, up to a maximum of 20 days per annum. Equivalent of 145. 6 d a Day "A grant of £3OO per annum is to be paid to the territorial air force squadrons, to be expended by them in a similar manner to the regimental funds grants of the territorial force and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reser-e. Hitherto there has been no such gra.it for the territorial air force. The allowance of 5s a day added to the pay of a private or an aircraftsman (firstclass) under the new scale will bring his military remuneration to 12s a day while in camp or attending courses. Rations and quarters will continue to be provided free, at an estimated cost of 2s 6d a day. Thus the territorial soldier or airman will be actually receiving the equivalent of 14s 6d a day for his services while attending camps and courses. "Instead of the existing bounty xor drills, ratings of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve will be eligible for training grants of £1 10s -to £3 10s per annum, according to qualifications. Obviously, members of this particular reserve would not be entitled to camp allowance, and the bonus system applicable to them operates differently from the camp allowance; but is intended to compensate them in some measure for the service they render. One half of the bonus will be .paid fo:- obligatory sea training, and the other half for the 36 drills. No grant will be paid unless the training is actually carried out. "The foregoing measures, it will be seen, represent a very considerable improvement in the conditions of pay and service that have existed in the past, and compare more than favourably with the conditions of service in other parts of the Empire. The Government feels assured that the inducements now offered to young men j join the territorial force and fit themselves for the defence of their country, coupled with the encouraging attitude now being adopted by employers generally, should overcome the existing difficulties, particularly in the case >f the territorial force, and result in this force recruiting up to establishment, and becoming a thoroughly efficient section of the defence forces of the Dominion."