SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17271, 22 September 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

OPINION IN AUCKLAND.

SATISFACTION APPARENT.

THE MAIN BODY PAYMENT.

As no meeting of the executive of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association has been held since the Government's scheme of war gratuities wae announced, no official pronouncement has been made on the subject.

The general opinion of members, however, seems to be that the amount suggested is a very fair one, and there is not likely to be what one prominent member described as an "unseemly clamour for more."

"There may be minor differences of opinion as to the period over which the gratuity shall be paid, particularly in respect to men who have had to receive lengthy hospital trea&nent after their return," he said, "but generally, members seem to consider that the Government has suggested an adequate sum as an expression of the country's gratitude. The opinion of the Auckland executive has always been that the decision of the conference not to offer any suggestions about the scheme should be strictly obeyed.

"Unfortunately there is evidence that certain associations in the South have not adhered to the ruling of the conference. The feature of the scheme which has given complete satisfaction is that the gratuity is to be paid on the basis of a flat rate. "Main Body men," he added, "feel no little satisfaction in the decision to pay up their 'bad debt,' which represents the difference between territorial pay they received for their first month of service and the Expeditionary Force rate. The amount for each man is not large, but for * number of reasons its payment will olease them in a manner quite out of proportion to the sum involved." CHRISTCHURCH VIEWPOINT. A DISAPPOINTED SECRETARY. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH. Saturday. The secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Associattion, Mr. W. E. Leadley, discussing the gratuities, said he was glad the flat rale had been decided on. " With regard to the amount." he contanned, "Ism disappointed to see that it is only intended to pay the gratuity from the date of embarkation up to tie signing of peace. That will be obviously unfair to a number of men who are still away. I think that payment should be over the whole period from the day a man went mto camp until the date of his discharge, provided he left New Zealand for active service.

Sir James Allen states that the gratuity is a payment of a debt of gratitude by the people of N»w Zealand to returned soldiers. If by that he means that the people of New Zealand as a whole must find the money to pay the gratuity I think Is 6d a day a fair thing, but if he had stated that the gratuity was the payment of a debt of gratitude by the profiteers of this country to returned men then 4s a day would not suffice. "I think sufficient money could be obtained by direct taxation from the profiteers to pay the fall amount of the gratuities which were asked for by the Wellington deputation."