MOTHERLAND'S EXAMPLE

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 8, 10 July 1916, Page 3

MOTHERLAND'S EXAMPLE

SPECIAL GRANTS TO SOLDIERS

TO MEET HOUSE RENT, ETC,

INSURANCE PREMIUMS

INCLUDED.

In view of the attitude ,o£ the Government on the subject of separation allowances and the declaration by the Hon. James Allen; Minister of Defence, on Wednesday last that "there seems no '•eason. why the pay of the soldier under '.he Military Service Act should be different from that now prevailing," the provisions made by the Imperial Government for married and single men in the British Army after the passing of the Compulsion Bill in May last will excite not a little interest throughout New Zealand. The new British provisions, briefly, aim at enabling soldiers (both present and future) to discharge their civil liabilities, and, over and above pay and. separation allowances,, provide that relief, may be given byway of Government grants in respect of the following obligations :—Rent, interest and instalments payable in respect of loans (including mortgages), instalments for the purchase of house, business premises, furniture, and the like, taxes, rates, insurance premiums, and school fees. Such assistance may be granted to both single and married men up to the extent of £104 per annum, which thus places British soldiers in an infinitely better position than their New Zealand comrades in amis. The new British regulations were circulated on 18th May last, in the form, of a special. Parliamentary paper, and were given in The 'pmes of the following day, from which WeJ quote as follows :— ..'.-■ APPOINTMENT OF COMMIS- ... SIONERS. In a prefatory memorandum, Mr. Hayes Fisher states :— . The forms of application will be obtainable at any Post Office, where the i address of the Commissioner for each district can also be seen. The Commissioners, who are all bar-risters-ai-law, or, in Scotland, advocates or iheriff-substitdtes, will investigate all applications locally. Additional Commissioners >vill be appointed wherever it is found that they' are needed to cope with, the work expeditiously. '

The commissioner will hear all applications privately, but the applicant or the person authorised by him1 to appear on his behalf may, if he so desires, be pecompanied by a friend. •

It will be the drity of the commissioner to investigate the applications, to satisfy himself as to the accuracy,,of the statements made by the applicants, and (o report with recommendations to the Central Committee.

The grants will, as a rule, be paid quarterly.