DELAY IN SOLDIERS PAY

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 6

DELAY IN SOLDIERS PAY

Delays aro again- occurring in the matter of soldiers' pay after their return to New Zealand. Discussing this question Mr. J. H. Gunson, president of the Auckland Patriotic Association, stated on Wednesday, cays the Herald, that unfortunately this fact had come under the notice of the special committees carrying out the executive work of the association. As a consequence the latter had been obliged to assist in many cases whei'e it should not have been necessary to do so. In several instances telegrams had been sent to Wellington on behalf of soldiers, asking the reason of the delay in making payments to them. Replies were now being awaited. The policy of the Claims Board, generally speaking, said Mr. Gunson, had been not to entertain • applications for assistance until the soldiers applying were' discharged. The reason was that in most cases the men's pay, if forthcoming, should be sufficient to meet their needs, pending their discharge. Wlien, however, delays arose, such as those. nouj being experienced, it had not been possible, if any consideration at all was to be given to the cases before the board, to adhere to that earlier policy. ' The association was prepared to mak"e every reasonable allowance for the heavy demands entailed on the Department by the increased number of men recently returned, but there was nothing reasonable in keeping soldiers waiting a month for pay overdue to them.