SOLDIERS' PAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17390, 30 January 1917, Page 3

SOLDIERS' PAY.

TEN .SHILLINGS A DAT ASKED. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. The City Council last night received a circular from the Pctone Borough Council asking support for a proposal that the pay of all men enlisted from New Zealand on land or sea should be increased to 10s a day; that in view of the conscription of men the Government should lake immediate and retrospective steps to conscript wealth, ajid prevent the public from being exploited; and that wealth and profits so taken should be utilised for the benefit/)f men serving with the. forces and their dependents. Councillor F. Burgoyne moved that the motion should be adopted. Ho said that while the Government was pursuing its present, policy the men should be given as much money as they were earning before they went. He knew of a war widow who was receiving 25s a week. End he considered it a scandalous disgrace in view of the huge sums of money coming into the country.. The woolgrowers _ demanded 55 pet cent on their prices. If the working man asked for 6d oils a day extra it was colled an outrage, although he had to pay 20 per cent or 30 per cent extra on everything he purchased. Councillor H. F. Herbert seconded the motion, stating 'that if the Government wanted the men it had a right to pay them.' The cost of. living had so risen that ihe rates were not sufficient to clothe and feed dependents decently. Councillor J. M'Cuflough said that the clause regarding pay should appeal to every councillor. A labourer received 9s 4d, a painter lis or These men went out to take extraordinary risk, and no monetary reward could be too great for their sacrifice. One newspaper had said that the menwere being well paid at ss. although he did not know what the editor would say if his salary was reduced to 5s a day. Every man should receive at least an ordinary labourer's wage, especially at a time when enormous profits were coming to the country, and the Government was failing in its duty.

The Mayor pointed out that the letter urged that, the pay .should be retrospective, which would mean that every man would have to receive exactly as much again as he had received to date, and the council should consider the effect of "the matter on the Government's prosecution of the war. The letter should have been cut in two. Ho moved that the letter should be referred to the Finance Committee for a report-. Councillor D. G. Sullivan supported the letter, stating that it was an answer to the charge of disloyalty cast at Labour represenatives who had advocated the increase. Councillor J. M'Combs said that to make the pay retrogressive would mean millions, but tho money could easily be found, for a 10 per cent export tax would give three millions, and probably reduce the cost of living.

Councillor J. R. Hayward said that lie was in favour of raising the soldiers' pay, but the Government was in the position that it had never anticipated the demands for men and money involved. Men had gone out to-fight for honour, freedom, justice and the salvation of the Empire, irrespective of pay, and the Government had done as well as it conk*.

The Mayor, after consulting the circular, announced that he was in error in saying that the pay was to be retrosneetive, ns the term referred only to the legislation. The letter was referred to the Finance Committee.