ANOMALIES IN ARMY PAY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23800, 20 November 1942, Page 7

ANOMALIES IN ARMY PAY

MINISTER REPLIES TO R.S.A. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, November 19. The Dominion Council of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association at its last meeting resolved to ask the Government to remove the anomaly existing in some camps, where privates holding the rank of acting-staff-ser-geants have been doing the work of staff-sergeants and sergeants for more than two years, and drawing the pay of privates. The Government was asked to give this class of soldier temporary instead of acting rank, thus enabling him to receive pay according to the rank held. The association's representations have now been replied to by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones), who said that these cases would be investigated and action taken to clear up anomalies, Replying to representations by the association that in calculating the 12 months’ service necessary for home servicemen to qualify for the mufti allowance, discharges to allow men to transfer from one unit to another, or absence on medical grounds should not be considered a break in service, Mr Jones said that it was not intended that short breaks of this nature should disqualify a man if he were otherwise entitled to the allowance, and cases where it had occurred would be investigated and adjusted.