PAY FOR SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16036, 30 September 1915, Page 9

PAY FOR SOLDIERS.

&ICK AND WOUNDED.

COMPLAINTS OF DELAY.

MINISTER AND MAYOR.

PLIGHT OF MARRIED ME£

Following upon a meeting held at the Soldiers' Club on Saturday to ventilatecertain grievances which returned soldiers stated they had against the Defence Department, a number of the invalided men were questioned yesterday regarding the disability they suffered through lack of funds. The chief grievance appeared to be the difficulty experienced in getting the arrears of pay due to them. Various estimates gave the average amount due at about £30 per head, while the majority had received about £5 in addition to the £5 given to them in Wellington on arrival. The Mayor. Mr. J. H. Gunson, has taken the matter up and on Tuesday telegraphed to the Minister for Defence as follows : —" Very great dissatisfaction exists and hardships are being experienced by returned soldiers on account of apparent dilatoriness of Department in the matter of men's pay. In giving a definite case, which is one of many —Private returned by the Tahiti, and was paid £5 on landing on September 11, his pay-book being retained by the Department. About £10 16 due, a'.so subsequent daily pay. Repeated applications furnish no satisfaction. I implore you to take steps to forthwith have justice done to these men who are placed in a most humiliating position, one to which I respectfully submit they should not be subjected. Kindly let me have a satisfactory reply so that I may assure them of payments due being made at once. Even abroad in Egypt men were paid fortnightly under the worst conditions. Therefore, circumstances now reported call for immediate attention."

Mr. Allen's Explanation.

The Minister replied yesterday as follows:—"In reply to your telegram I must protest against charge of dilatoriness with regard to Tahiti invalids' pay. Defence staff gave preference to this matter and worked night and day to expedite issue of deferred pay. There is a large amount of clerical work involved in dealing with the men all over New Zealand. No complaints from elsewhere have been received. Three hundred and six warrants for deferred pay, totalling £5577, were posted on September 23. In 39 cases allotments were in savings banks, 153 men were overpaid as at August 31, and only small balances would be due on September 13. Private was one of these. He allotted 4s 4d a day to his wife. She received £8 5s 4d allotment and separation allowance on August 31. Statement that subsequent pay is due is manifestly incorrect. Only £6 will be due at September 30. Department is not responsible for humiliating position these men find themselves in by overspending, as advance of £5 on arrival, 20 days' pay, should suffice for short interval until end of month, when further pay due to that date will be posted."

Farther Telegrams. Mr. Gunson again telegraphed: — Your telegram of even date received. I believe there is good ground for complaint on the part of the Tahiti men. Payment of £5 on landing is surely not justification for undue delay in settlement of outstanding amount. On September 22 you advised me that paybooks would be posted on the following day, but these have not yet come to hand."

"There is no question at all about it" Mr. Gunson said, " that the Tahiti men have good ground for complaint. Mr. V. J. Larner, chairman of the Soldiers' Relief Committee, has been in constant communication with the Minister for Defence, and on various occasions indications have been made that the paybooks have been forwarded to the men. They have not, however, vet come to hand. As a matter of tact, the whole of the work involved in connection with 500 or 600 Daybooks would be discharged in the up-to-date commercial office in 24 hours." Reference was made by the Mayor to the apparent reluctance of many soldiers to 'ay their complaints - before the Soldiers Relief Committee. » "I want these men," he said, "to understand the fund in the Town Hall is available for all legitimate cases, and such soldiers need have no hesitation in coming along. They do not come as supplicants but they come to get something which the public has charged us to pav to them. The funds are not going to be conserved, but are to be used for the purpose for which they were provided, namely, the relief and assistance of returned wounded men."

Soldiers' Relief Committee. Mr. V. J. Larner. chairman of the Soldiers' Relief Committee, said he was not surprised that returned soldiers by the Tahiti were ventilating their grievances. "The discontinuance of the ration allow, ance of 2s a week," said Mr. Larner, "in some cases proves a hardship, more especially with invalided married men whoso families are not off. when the husband returns as when he went awav : that is provided the man is nursed at* home.I have quite a number of applications from invalided men from the Tahiti for advances against the pay owing to themThey tell me that in "various cases £30 is owing to them by the Government. I telegraphed to the Defence Minister on September 22, as follows : — Men invalided on sick leave per Tahiti claim they have not received pay owing to them, in some cases up to £30. They cannot hold out any longer and we have had to make numerous advances to them. Would you kindly expedite matters and* also have the pay books returned to them."

"Five Pounds Should Suffice." The Minister's reply was as follows :— " The majority of the men from the -Tahiti were paid up to the end of August before leaving Egypt. I find that the men, on arrival at Wellington, received £5 each. The Defence staff is working night and day making up nearly 500 accounts. Expect pay books and warrants for deferred pay to be posted to-morrow. Complaints cannot come from genuine cases of hardship. as £5 should suffice for this short interval."

To my mind," continued Mr. Lanier, "this is most unsatisfactory. Surely 500 accounts should not take very long to make up. I don't think the sting in the tail of the Minister's message was called for. If the money is due to the men they should receive It Within reasonable time. Goodness know* they have worked and risked enough for it, and the men have no right io be placed in the position of coming to the Patriotic League for an advance.

" Some of the men have recently received their pay and the advances we made to them have been repaid. There appears to be a difficulty and doubt in the men's minds regarding their deferred pay. This Is a day is granted to go to their wives, to whom it is forwarded direct by the Department. But some men, not knowing they were entitled to it. had not applied for this payment. I think matters of this sort should have greater publicity and suggest that posters should be exhibited m all post offices and railway stations. Single men and men who are well and strong can wait. But the wounded and invalided should not be kept waiting. If the clerical assistant* cannot be obtained, then let those engaged In the work attend to our wounded and sick men first. All this irritation, bother, and trouble could, I think, be avoided if a capable and adequate staff were provided to do the necessary detail and clearance work, thus saving irritation to the men and discredit to our National Ministry,"