STOPPAGE OF PAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17560, 17 August 1917, Page 9

STOPPAGE OF PAY.

POSITION OF SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS. Several cases .have been rcrortcd_ of the Itoppngo of military pay to wives and dependents owin K to the military « „~« of the soldiers making such ofences ot tna - SEXE*.••Snt q mc% of tho Adsittcroa »"»•*, | tlie jsiew Zealand Lc-ed the opinion that, wives and d*S£ts should not be made to suffer ?!Tv <] lfi offences ot the soldier. it .va& Sated out"that in civil life tie wife S I dopeudenta must necessarily suffer for the criminar acts of anyone upon Son? they are dependent, but it was thought that the circumstances of a i^MSr • fighting for . his country placed him ion a different footing, ft was decided to bring the question the notice of tho Minister of Defence { Sir James Allen). ■ it Wednesday's meeting of the board tho foUowing reply was received from the Minister:—" Our soldiers on active service aro serving under tho Army \ct This Act defines the punishment which can be inflicted for various military offences, and we have no power to Vary this, in any way. Iho usual form of punishment in the held lor ordinary offences tabes iho form of short periods of detention or field punishment. A soldier draws no pay while serving such sentence: this is the principal part of the punishment. If the suWstion of your society were adopted"it would mean that tne Government practically guarantees to pay the' fines inflicted upon a military offender, and the punishmentsi above defined would thus become ineffective. This would have the effect of compedmjx commanding officers, m the interest of discipline, to resort to. other ■ and less desirable forms ot punishment, which aro provided as alternatives under tho Army Act. . ~ " As your society pomts out, m civil life the wife and dependents must necessarily suffer for the criminal acts of any one upon whom they are dependent, I cannot see that the circumstances of a eoldier fighting for his country vary that principle. It is absolutely vital that, discipline in a military force on active service should. be maintained, and the fact must not be overlooked that there is a certain class of men who would be less amenable to discipline if they knew that the State had practically-? absolved them trom their responsibilities in regard to those dependent upon them." Not satisfied with this, the board *ent a further letter to the Minister in the following terms:—"ln further reference to my letter on the above subject; and your reply thereto, T have been asked to inquire if it would not he possible for instructions to be given to the authorities abroad that in cases where a soldier has made allotment to his wife'or dependents, only that portion of the pay handled by the soldier himself should "be stopped' as a penalty for military offences, and the allotments to wives' and mothers continued/' So far no reply to-this has been received. Further consideration of tho matter was postponed until tho conference of societies when a remit dealing with the subject will bo moved.