PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 58, 1 December 1917, Page 6

PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

..Sir, —In this morning's isßue I saw »5 letter to •' you published, headed '"Home. Service," relating to new . Scale of separation allowances coming anfco force on January 1. •;After making several inquiries as to JwHether married, men having enlisted (previous to this date are going to nave jthis extra.allowance made, up to iwiyesp ;and"'getting; io'; sfaction until'this morning, when I received a-letter-in answer to mine from the War Relief Association to the effect that-the extra allowances are only j>ayable;to-dependants of soldiers serving with the Forces on January 1, and that they ,will hot date back. 1 Can any man who calls himself a Jman consider this a fair thing P It's toothing but a huge scandal if these (men, being now called' up and made to Jgo, are to get this advantage, and (oxtra pay for their dependants, while Jtho : ' married' men who came forward Sind enlisted months ago, some of them ■two to three years - ago, voluntarily, ido.«not. Is'nothing going to'be done !at home here to : seo these men get ftheir rights ?';'„. v: ' : - -My own ease, for instanco: I am just I have one child, have been fin, tho Forces twenty months, having Served previously in South Africa two .ijyears; my wife has had very indifferent health\since I have been away; jsho would' : not apply to tho War: Relief ,but she was forced to get jwork herself "in my -absence to keep Jthings the allowance was insufficient. My health is'ruined for some-time, probably-for ever. I expect to cet a pension if I have any 'luck. However, the question is: Are jour wives not entitled to have", this (extra allowance.'made up to them? ' In my own case my wife would have considerably over £100 to draw where she Ao get it. / What the married boys will have to (Say when they, get back I know will mstonish a few here.—l am,/etc., ! RETURNED SOLDIER.

[The new scale of separation allowances will .come into ' operation on January 1, and, will apply to the dependants of all; ( men then in the; Expeditionary ; Porce, regardless of the ,date' of their enlistment; also to men (subsequently called on to servo. < It' Ss not retrospective. A soldier who (has returned from the front' will have jthe benefit of the new scale of pensions for himself and his dependants. Ho will bo on the same footing in this ■rospect as the men now at' the front pnd those who have still to go.].