THE MARRIED MAN COUNCILLOR LOSES HIS SEAT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 203, 16 May 1918, Page 6

THE MARRIED MAN

COUNCILLOR LOSES HIS SEAT

HIS PAY AND ALLOTMENT

NO HARDSHIP AT THE FRONT

"The Pinnnoial Aseistanco Board demands that a married soldier shall allot as 0(1. a day from hi,, j, ay t ;o ii is w jf e before ho receives any grant from the board, eaiu a speaker nt l.he meeting of tlio Second Division lenguo -in Tuesday night. "Thi9 means that (Uo married soidiar is left with Is. (id. a day to live on. Another member of Iho 'eagne mentioned that the Minister of Defence had eaid many married eonliers were allotting •Jβ. a day to their wives, and the tone of the discuseion showed that somo of the reservists believed an arrangement of this kuid meant real hardship for tho Second Division soMior.

Tho point wns mentioned to a Domin , ion reportor ye-sterday by a returned Boldior who lias had experienco of campaigning' in France and of ramp life- in England. "Some of the Second Division men don't seem to understand the ]»sitiou at all," said tho returned man. "That statement that'the soldier is 'left with Is. 6d. a day to live on' shows total ignorance or else something worso. Tho soldier does not have to pay living expenses at all, nndif he is getting Is. Gd. a. day for his personal expenditure ho is well off. He is a rich man pared to tho British Tommy, and a rcguhr millionaire according to tho standards of t?ie French and Belgian soldiers. Don't. the Second Division men understand that they wqmd only draw 2s. a day at the front if they were single? The rest of ■ their pay would be- accumulating in New Zealand. Do t ; hoy think that Gd. a day spells the difference between poverty and plenty? "I supposo some Second Division League member will come along with the argument that tho married man ought to have deferred pay, too. Hβ can have it as far as I am concerned, Vut it is not the Government or the war that is responsible for his being married. The married man is not' in the same position as tho single man financially in civil life, since the demands upon his pay are greater. Everybody rnows that. The married man Ins to givo to hie wife .money that he could spend upon himself or save if he were eingle. Tho position does not change when he 'liters the Army. My own impression, based on obi.Tvation, is that the average married man, drawing Is, 6d. .or 2s. a day in the Army, has juet as much money to spend on himseif as he had when he was a civilian. Married soldiers have told mo that was the oase.

"After a man leaves New Zealand hie necessary personal expenditure is very small indeed. He can manage to spend a lot of money when he is on leave it' ho wants to, but the great majority of tho men don't do that. Clothing, food, and equipment are supplied on an adequate- scalo hy tho Government. Practically there are no living sxpenses at ah. There are no bills to pay, no train fares, no subscriptions or tips. Tea and coffee, light food, even cigarettes' come along free of charge at the places where they are needed". Writing materials are supplied free 'almost everywhere. No stamps are needed at the front. Canteens, hiits, hostels, and so forth, ruit by the Y.M.C.A., tho Salvation Army, and other organisations, are open to tho soldiers all over England and France. If thero are charges they are very small; usually there are no charges. "The suggestion that the New Zealand soidier cannot 'live' on activo service on , Is. Cd. a day is ridiculous on tho faco of it. Do the people'who say such things know tljat Is. Cd. a day is the total pay of tho British soldier, and I hat the ]«1gians and French get something liko Id. a day? Do people over here imagine that the British Tommy and the French poilu get no amusement? You bet they do! The married man who goes from this country after allotting 3s. Gd. a day of his pay will find that the remaining Is. 6d. is ample not merely to meet all his reasonable needs, but to make him ono of the 'moneyed men' among the, millions of soldiers who are fighting in Europe. ■He w ill be able to hold up bis head in any company, to spend just as freely as most of his comrades can spend, and to save money for his bit o? pleasuring when he goes on leave. Of course there are some gay r.ports who spend a lot of money, which they get privately from.New Zealand. But the average Second Division man lives quietly here, and he can do tho same thing when he is on service. He will havo more money for tobacco, matches, and extras than he hart wh,fin lie -\as maintaining a home in New Zealand on M or £5 a week."

FOR PARTICIPATION IN A. 808

OUGH CONTEACT,

By Telegraph—Press Association. Taumarunui, May 15. Mr. George H. Thompson, a local tradesman and a. member of tho Taumarunui Borough ' Councils has been ousted from his. seat on the council iw the result of the reserved decision given by Mr. Rawson, S.M. Mr. Thompson was summoned at the instance of two councillors for haying participated in a sewerage contvaot in contravention of the Municipal Corporations Act. 1908. 'Defendant was formerly in partnership with a brother. After a dissolution of Dailner6hip ho advised bis brother to tender for a contract, and afterwards supplied his brother with goods valued at £1 11s. 9d., used in connection with the contract. The Magistrate hold that tho fact that the amount was small was immaterial, and ordered the seat to bo vacated.