SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES

Evening Star, Issue 16090, 15 April 1916, Page 2

SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES

AN IMPORTANT MATTER.

[Special to the ' Star.']

CHRISTCHURCH. April 15. The (jjmouncemenfc that the Imjwrial Government will make pecuniary provision foy liabilities incurred by soldiers has raised the question of responsibility in this respect in New Zealand. It has been dis-cijfci-L»d over and over again, in Christchurch, where many oases have arisen of men who wish to enlist but who find that if they do eo some of their financial enuageraertts must go to tho wall, and that loss will result. Most, of these, cases are connected with mortgage transactions. Many young married men rent their homes on the purchase- principle. If thev enter the ranks their incomes are Teduced; it is impossible to continue th« periodical payments, and tho properties are jeopardised. Another problem of the same kind has arisen in connection with life insurance policies. Some soldiers are unable on their pay to find sufficient to meet the premiums. In one case a Canterbury soldier, when he enlisted, earned about £5 a- week. He paid 10s a week on Ids furniture and £ls a year on his life insurance policy. Unless he has received a. commission his pay will be insufficient to meet either of those engagements. There are Bcores of these cases in Christchuich alone.

The officers of the Citizens' Defence Corps a short time ago brought the problem under the notice of the Minister of Defence, who told them that the Government were considering it, but at the present had not found a satisfactory solution. Tilts chief difficulty teems to be to define tho limitations of any responsibility' the Government might undertake in tho case of a mortgage. For instance, if the Government undertake to pay the interest, should the soldier repay all tho expenditure when he returns? If so, he might be confronted with a fairly heavy account. If he is incapacitated and cannot earn sufficient to pay the interest, should the property be taken over by the Government and sold and the balance, after paying the interest due, be handed to the soldier? There seems to be an opinion amongst soldiers' friends in Cliristchurch that the fairest arrangement would be for tho Government to pay interest charges while a soldier mortgagee is at the front, and to give some concession to him as to repayment when he comes back, making it aa easy for him as possible. These and other considerations make the problem an excepI tionally difficult one.