PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 6

PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

A very definite and so far as it went quite satisfactory declaration was made by tho Prime Minister on Thursday evening regarding the pensions and allowances to be made to members of the Second Division and their families. Mh. .Massey said everything that the- Government coiild do for tho men of the Second Division would be done; proper and reasonable provi'sion would be made. This is the attitude which the country expects tho Government to take, and the Piuaie Minister at any rate appears to realise this. But what docs the Government regard as "proper and reasonable, f There is a very, general belief that the Government has been carried away by the desire to establish a strong financial position, and that to attain that most desirable end it is inclined to err on the side of over-taxing and under-paying where the military forces are concerned. While over-taxation may be excused Ministers, and especially the Minister of Finance, should bear in mind-that inadequate provision for our soldiers and their dependants will be bitterly resented and strenuously fought. Mr. Poland, in the course of tho discussion in tho House of Representatives on Thursday evening,' stated that it would be useless to. tell.tho .House and the country that they could not.afford more than a slight improvement on the existing rate of pensions and allowances. This is quite true, it is not tho Government- hut the people of New Zealand who aiu providing the millions of surplus money each year which arc being hoarded up in London, and the people want to see their iellow-citi-zens who are being called on to fight for them fairly and liberally treated in this matter. Members of Parliament should bear in mind that while military pensions arc fixed by statute tho pay and allowances of our soldiers arc fixed by regulation. Tho clause of tho Act bearing on the subject reads as follows: The Governor may make such regulations ns ho thinks fit us to the ]>ay, anil allowances of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of an Expeditionary "subject to any such regulations, and so "far as they do not extend, such pay -,iid allowances 'shall be at the discretion of the Minister of Defence. The discretionary power ■ here provided may bo useful at times, but it loaves matters in a state 'of uncertainty that is seriously open to objection. What Parliament should insist on is that tho allowances to dependants of soldiers should bo placed beyond all doubt or uncertainty.