FOURTH REINFORCEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15930, 29 May 1915, Page 9

FOURTH REINFORCEMENT.

ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION.

HEALTH 'OF TROOPS GOOD.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.]'

Wellington, Friday.

The Defence authorities have received cable advice that the fourth reinforcements, which left Wellington on April 18, have arrived safely at their destination. The health of the troops and horses was good. There were no cases of serious illness on the voyage, and only a small percentage of the horses was lost.

The men of the fourth reinforcement draft were paraded at Wellington, prior to departure on April 17, and addressed by the Prime Minister.

Advice was received on March 31 of the arrival of the third reinforcements, which included the Maori contingent They were despatched from Wellington on February 14.'

The second reinforcement draft was mobilised at Trentham and despatched from Wellington on December 13. 'three steamers were employed as transports for the men, horses, and equipment. The voyage from New Zealand to Egypt occupied 45 days.

The main force, which was accompanied by the first reinforcement draft, left Wellington on October 16 of last year. Calls were made at Hobart and at Albany, the voyage from the latter port being resumed in the company of the Australian Expeditionary Force. Colombo was reached on November 13, and the force disembarked in Egypt on December 3, the voyage having occupied 48 days. SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS. PENSIONS NOT ADEQUATE. INQUIRIES BY COMMITTEE. A report concerning pensions proposed to be paid to widows and children of soldiery killed in the war or dying at the front will be brought before the committee of the Auckland Patriotic Lengue at its next meeting. The sub-committee appointed to draw no the report consisted of Messrs E. A. Craig, H. W. Hudson, and Charles Rhodes. The, report first outlines the Imperial Pensions Committee's recommendations, the allowances suggested therein being as follows:—Widows without children, 10a to 15s a week; with one child, 15s; with two children, 18s 6d; throe children, 20s 6d ; four children, 22s 6H; and for the motherless children of killed soldiers, 5s per week each. For totally disabled men, a pension of 255, a week with nn addition of 2s 6d a week for each child is proposed by the Imperial authorities, while the pensions for partially disabled men are to be assessed according to each man's earning ' capacity. • In the New Zealand Defence Act of 1908 it is provided, the report points out, that tine widow and children of a noncommissioned officer or private killed while on service were to receive pensions of £36 and from £G to £10 per annum respectively, while where a non-commis-sioned officer or private dies, in contradistinction to being killed, on service, tho widow was to be awarded £30 nor annum and from £4 to £8 for each child. Therefore a widow with four children whoso husband was killed on active service would receive, about £68 per annum— per week—while the same, widow, if her husband died on service, would receivo about £54 per annum—2os 9d per week. These allowances, the Act provided, were to cease should the widow re-marry, and in this connection the subcommittee expresses the opinion that the ! children's allowances should be continued. Further, tho committee consider* that a soldier's pay should bn paid to his widow for six months after his death, instead of ceasing with his death. The allowances provided for by the Defence Act the committeo considers inadequate, for they are a long way below the soldier's pay. Even in cases where at present 80 per cent, of a soldier's nay was allowed to his wife and family the Patriotic Committee had often found it necessary to pay up to 20s per week to save the family from want. In conclusion, the .report recommends that, a special committee should be appointed to net as trustees to control th> allocation of relief moneys. All the casualty lists should be watched bv a secretary, and each case should be thoroughly investigated and reported upon, and all deserving eases referred to the main committee. In exceptional cases a -small sum might be placed at the disposal of dependent* to enable them to enter business. The relief proposed should be confined to dependents of men from*, the Auckland district.

NEW MONETARY PROVISION.

PORTION OF PAY CONTINUED.

[BY TKLEGIUI'U.— ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, Friday.

Tho Minister for Defence stated this evening that, Cabinet had approved of an. arrangement for bridging the interval that might elapse between the death of a soldier who had dependents in New Zealand and tho payment of the pension that would be provided by Parliament. In the ordinary course of events the pay of an officer or private would cease at death. If portion of tho pay had been allocated for tho support of dependents the Defence Department would no longer have legal authority to pay tho amount so allocated, but it was obvious that these payments could not be allowed to stop, since, 'if they did, dependents might suffer privation during the interval that necessarily would elapse before the Pension Board could deal with claims for pensions. The Government, therefore, hud adopted a scheme that protected the interests of dependents. Tho Government would continue the payment of allotments for 26 weeks after the official notification that the man who had made them was dead or missing, provided that the allotment was payable to, or on behalf of, the deceased's widow, sons under 18 years of age, unmarried daughters under 21 years of age, widowed mother or sister, or sisters having no parent of surviving brother. It had been provided that as regards officers, the maximum daily .unount of allotment payable shall not exceed in the case of a colonel, lieut.-colonel or major, 50 percent, of such officer's daily pay; in the case of acaptain, 60 per tent, of such officer's daily pay; and in tho case of a lieutenant or second lieutenant, 75 per cent, of such officer's daily pay. The first monthly payment after notification of an officer's death would be at the full rate of allotment. If the pension or allowance finally granted was au-a higher rate than the allotment paid to dependent than an adjustment would bo made, but if at a lower rate in portion of tho allotment already issued need be recovered. These payments would be continued for a maximum period of six months in order to allow of time for the arrangement of tho pensions. The scheme would ensu* that no dependents would be left stranded, c\en for a few weeks.