SUBSIDY ON ARMY PAY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23751, 24 September 1942, Page 6

SUBSIDY ON ARMY PAY

EMPLOYEES OF HOSPITAL BOARD

MEN WITH TWO YEARS’ SERVICE

All employees of the North Canterbury Hospital Board who have had two years’ service, and are members of the armed forces, will in future be entitled to the same subsidy on their Army pay as employees who joined the forces before July 23, 1940. This decision was made by the board at its meeting yesterday. Previously the subsidy applied to all members of the staff who volunteered for active service before July 23, 1940.

Opposition to the proposal was expressed by Mr H. A,- Bennett, who moved an amendment that it should be referred back to the finance committee. He said the board was not justified in giving the subsidy to employees who had two years’ service. It was quite alright for those who had volunteered, but now that everyone was on the same level the board should draw the line, Mr J. S. Barnett said the reasons given by Mr Bennett for referring the proposal back to the finance committee were as flimsy as possible. Men entering the Army to-day had not been in the position, by reason of their age alone, to volunteer. There were thousands who would have been glad enough to volunteer, but were unable to do so, but they were prepared to serve in their turn. While all credit should be given to the men who did volunteer, the board was not entitled to impose penalties on those men who had been unable to do so. The subsidisipg of pay had been done by other local bodies, including the City Council and the Drainage Board. Mr Bennett’s amendment was lost, only two members supporting it.