SEPARATION ALLOWANCES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3150, 31 July 1917, Page 6

SEPARATION ALLOWANCES

TOR SOLDT.RRR' WIDOWED MOTHERS. The widowed mother of a soldier or soldiers is not entitled to the Is. a dny separation allowance if she has an iucome of 7s. a week. This provision has appealed to some intellects ks being unsound in principle, and tho Advisory Board of Patriotic Societies (which (jould tell of many instances where the widowed mothers of sons away fighting at tlio front are suffering from actual want) has taken the matter up, and hopes to have an alteration made that will not bear so hardly on many a widowed mother. In one recent case a statement of the woman's position was forwarded to tho War Belief Association by a person to whom she appealed. The wsociation replied that the matter was being placed beforo tho Minister of Dofcnco by the Advisory Board of the Patriotic Societies. The woman's letter says: — "Dear Sir^— l thank you for yoiir letter in reply to mine addressed to JXr. , re soldiers' widowed mothers' separation allowance. I know Mr. has tried to make the securing of this j>rnnt easier, and I still hope to see it within the reach of mothers who are, trying to live on 7s. a week. I hope the number of such is very few, as it would mean a very great hardship in addition to the grief and anxiety we are all enduring. ... I regret to say the. Eegis(rar's notice to attend .at iiis office later to,give a statement was lacking in courtesy; his manner when asking questions regarding ■my position more so. ccldiers' mothers are not criminals." In another case a widow had three sons at the war. One was killed, and sho received, on that account, ten shillings a week pension. Her ether sons allowed her one shilling a day each. This gave her 21s. a week, out of which fihe paid 18s. for her hoard and lodging, leaving 6s. for clothes, boots, and all other incidentals. It wai : uggP3ted that the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board might assist her, but it found itself unablo to do so.