SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16205, 15 April 1916, Page 8

SOLDIERS' LIABILITIES.

._ » — MORTGAGES AND INSURANCE SUGGESTED GOVERNMENT AID. [BT TELEGBATH.— COKRESrONf>E. CimiSTCHrjRCH, Fr- ■ The announcement that the I J Government will make pecuniary pK> •■ v for liabilities incurred by soldiers ..~* raised the question of responsibility in this respect .in New Zealand. It has been discussed again and again in Christchurch, where many cases have arisen of men who wish to enlist, but who find that if they do so some of their financial engagements must gc to the wall, and that loss will result. Most of these fuses are connected with mortgage transactions Many young married men rent their homes on the purchase principle- If they ent«i the ranks their incomes aio reduced, and it is impossible to continue the periodical payments, and the properties are.jeopardised. Another problem of the same kind has arisen in connection with life insurance policies. Some soldiers are unable, on their pay, to find sufficient to meet the premiums. In one case in Canterbury a soldier, when he enlisted, earned about £5 a week. He paid 10s a week on bis furniture, and £15 a year on his life insurance policy. Unless he has received a commission his pay will bo insufficient to meet either of those engagements. There (are scores of these cases in ChrisWhurcb. alone. The officers of the Citizens' Defence Corps a short time ago brought tho problem under the notice of-the Minister for Defence, who told them tho Povern« raent was considering it, but at present had not found a satisfactory solution. The chief difficulty seems to bo to define the limitations of any responsibility the Government might undertake. In the case of a mortgage, for instance, if the Government undertakes to pay the interest should the soldier repay ail the expenditure when he returns? If so, he might be confronted with a fairly heavy account. If he is incapacitated and cannot earn sufficient to pay the interest, should the property be taken over by the Government "and sold, and the balance, after paying interest due, be handed to the soldier? There seems to be an opinion amongst soldiers' friends in Christchurch that the fairest arrangement would be for tho Government to pay interest charges while a soldier mortgages is at the front, and to give some concen. sion to him as to repayment when he comes back, making it as easy for him as possible.