MEN IN ARMY GIVEN CHANCE OF RELEASE

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 4

MEN IN ARMY GIVEN CHANCE OF RELEASE

CHANGE IN PAY RATES AH members of the New Zealand Army have, in effect, been offered the alternative of accepting the new rates of pay recently announced or terminating their service, (says the ‘ New Zealand Herald ’). This has been made clear in a notice from the Auckland district paymaster, dated April 21, which has been distributed to all military camps in the area, with instructions that it shall be displayed, together with a list giving the starting a'nd service standard of each man, so that he can determine exactly what his pay will be under the new arrangements. The notice, it is- stated, has already been placed on notice boards at Papakura and other camps in the Auckland military district, but there is no general move among the men to take advantage of the opportunity to withdraw from the service. Auckland district headquarters states that it has no knowledge of any actual applications, and understands that so far only about 20 men in the whole area have expressed actual interest in the possibility. J-FORCE SOLDIERS. The assistant adjutant and quarter-master-general, Northern Military District, Lieutenant-colonel H. M. Poster, stated that any member of the temporary force dissatisfied with the new rates 6f pay had seven days to decide whether to .accept them or remain on the old rates. If he chose the latter course he would be released as soon as possible. Under the original terms of service for J-Force, soldiers were to be paid under Second N.Z.E.F. rates, and, as this had been varied, the men were being given a chance to withdraw from the contract, said Colonel Foster. They were being placed in full possession of the facts, ancl if they decided that they wished to withdraw they had to make formal application. The time taken to consider such applications, while short, would provide the soldiers with a chance to change their minds, but once approval had been given it was not anticipated that there would be any delay in releasing the men. THE REGULAR FORCE. J-Force soldiers now in Japan would remain on old rates' until the arrival of the next relief, when those who had elected to remain would come under the new rates, said Colonel Foster. These men would also be given the option of accepting the new arrangement or being released. While the provisions for applying for release applied to the regular force as well, it was considered unlikely that -such men would take advantage of them, except possibly a few who had joined only recently. The whole system was designed to afford soldiers an opportunity of withdrawing from an arrangement the terms of which had been changed.