K FORCE PAY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26205, 31 August 1950, Page 8

K FORCE PAY

DETAILS ANNOUNCED BY MINISTER SINGLE PRIVATE TO HAVE 15/- A DAY (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 30. Pay rates for most ranks in K Force would be based on the rates paid to volunteer territorials and would include an allowance for the Arbitration Court’s recent interim wage order, said the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald) to-day. The daily rates for single men would be: private. 15s: lance-corporal, 17s 7d; corporal. 19s Id; sergeant, 22s lOd; staff sergeant. 24s lOd; warrant officer 11, 25s 4d; warrant officer I, 25s lOd; second-lieutenant, 255; lieutenant, 26s 6d; captain, 32s lOd; major. 41s 4d; lieutenant-colonel, 47s lOd; colonel. 57s lOd; brigadier, 68s lOd.

Mr Macdonald said that in fixing this scale allowance had been made for greater responsibility falling on junior officers in war than in peace.

“Allowances to which K Force soldiers will be entitled will be a wife allowance at a maximum flat rate of 6s a day. and on occasions when soldiers are not rationed and quartered by the army a subsistence allowance of 4s 6d a day. The wife allowance payable to soldiers divorced or separated from their wives will in general be fixed in accordance with their maintenance commitments, but will not normally exceed 3s a day.” The Minister added that child allowances would be payable in the normal way from the Social Security FuA Mr Macdonald said that at the beginning of the last war the Government fixed a daily rate of pay which appeared low when compared with the minimum civilian wage, but which was supplemented by various allowances and concessions and other forms of assistance. After the war the peace-time rates of pay and allowances for territorials were based on the minimum rates for the regular force. They were framed to reward the officer and soldier on a basis comparable with the reward for civil employment as fairly as possible.

Taxes to be Deducted “When the value of rations, quarters, and clothing is considered, it will be seen that the rates for K Force compare reasonably with those ruling for civilian employment,” said the Minister. “For that reason it has been decided that K Force pay, excluding the value of rations and quarters, will be subject to social security and income tax. The former will be deducted at the source of payment in the normal way, and there will be a pay-as-you-earn system for the collection of income tax.” Mr Macdonald said that civil servants in K Force would be responsible for paying their own superannuation contributions.

The Minister said that the field pay system- would operate for K Force, each soldier drawing in the field enough money to meet his immediate needs. In the interests of the men themselves, however, there would be a system of compulsory allotments. Single men would be required to make an allotment to a savings bank account on a scale graduated according to their rate of pay. Privates and corporals would be required to allot at least 5s a day. sergeants to lieutenants 6s. captains 7s. majors Bs, and higher ranks 9s.

Married men would be required to allot their wives a minimum of 6s a day, which with the wife allowance of 6s a day would mean that wives would receive at least 12s a day. Allotments could be increased, but not beyond a point where a soldier would have less than 5s field pay a day.

There would be no system of deferred pay.