RATES IN EMPIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25180, 18 April 1945, Page 6

RATES IN EMPIRE

DECISIONS ALREADY MADE THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM The . reference by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, to gratuity payments to the 170,000 men who had qualified by overseas service focusses attention on similar steps being taken by other countries in the British Commonwealth, all of whom have brought down definite plans and decided upon rates of payment. No rates have been mentioned by Mr Nash, and it would appear from his passing reference that payment is to be confined to men with overseas service. Britain and Australia The British Government has decided to spend £200,000.000 for providing war gratuities, which depend on length of service as well as rank. The basic gratuity for-ratings and other ranks is 10s for each month of service, while the monthlv payment for the lowest rank of officer is 255. Officers and men who had held rank above the lowest vj'ould qualify for higher rates of gratuitv, rising to a maximum of 7os a month in the case of an admiral of the fleet, a fickl-marshal or a marshal of the Ii.A.F. No distinction is made between overseas service and service in England, and payments will be free of income tax. Women members of the British forces and nursing sisters will receive, in general, two-thirds of the rate for the corresponding male ranks. The problem of deciding the Australian war gratuities was handed over to an all-party committee of both Houses of Parliament. Recommendations were made in March to pay gratuities of 2s 6d a day for overseas service and 6d a day for service in Australia. Payments will be on a flat rate and identical amounts will be paid to generals and privates who had the same service. Deferred for Five Years The inflationary danger likely to be caused by immediate of gratuities,-as referred to by Mr Nash, will be solved in Australia by deferring payment until five years after the date of entitlement, except in special cases. To avoid the abuses which arose from the issue of bonds after the last war, the Australian committee recommended that credits should be registered at the Commonwealth Bank. The proposed rate of interest was 3$ per cent, and the gratuities will be inalienable and tax-free.

The South African Government has decided to pay cash gratuities of 30s a month for Europeans, irrespective of rank. Natives wil 1 receive os for every month of service. Canada also has adopted a most generous gratuity scheme. The gratuity payment to New Zealand servicemen after the last war was Is 6d a day for the period of overseas service, irrespective of rank, while Australians received Is a day after the last war. WORK RESUMED DISCHARGING LIME CARGO INCREASED RATE GRANTED The discharging of lime from the Union Steam Ship Company's vessel Waipiata was resumed at one o'clock yesterday afternoon after a delay of nearly a day. Waterside workers employed at two of the ship's holds ceased work at two o'clock on Monday afternoon when a dispute arose over the extra payment to be made for handling lime. The men claimed an extra Is an hour, instead of the normal sd, and after no agreement had been reached at a meeting of the local disputes tommittee, the matter was referred to the Auckland waterfront controller, Mr W. J. Cuthbert. "The men returned to work and discharged one sling of cargo at 9.45 this morning and then knocked, off until one o'clock this afternoon when work proceeded," said Mr Cuthbert, yesterday. He believed that the men had returned to work as a result of action taken by their union. They had been granted an increased extra rate, although they had not been given the extra Is an hour that they Had asked for. The work was. exceptionally dusty and dirty. Shortly before the president of the Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, Mr H. Barnes, and the vice-president, Mr A. Drennan, left for Wellington on Monday night to attend a national executive meeting, they stated that they had not heard anything about the lime dispute. A ballot on the question of working night shifts on Union Steam Ship Company vessels has been taken by the Auckland Waterside Workers' tJnion, but the result of the voting is not vet known. Following a dispute over the employment of non-union labour on February 4, the union informed the Waterfront Control Commission on February 15 that it would no longer work night shifts on Union Company vessels.

POSSESSION OF HOUSE ORDER BY MAGISTRATE (0.C.) • BOTORUA, Tuesday The possession of a fire-roomed house in Eruera Street, Rotorua, was sought by the owners, Frederick Samuel Martin and his wife, Alice Maud Martin, retired, Rotorua (Mr Davys), against Alexander Henry Millar, attendant, Rotorua (Mr Keane), before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in Rotorua today. Mr Davys stated that Martin was an invalid in the Rotorua Hospital and could come out of hospital only if he could have every convalescent facility. Plaintiff owned a house in Ngongotaha, which he had made available for Millar, but the offer was not accepted. Counsel understood that Millar had some interest in a boardinghouse. Mr Keane said the defendant was married with one son. At the time he was offered tlu house at Ngongotaha he was serving with he R.N.Z.A.F. and could not live far from Rotorua. His wife was the manageress of the boardinghouse, but there was no accommodation for him there. Mr Paterson said that ti.e relative hardship was in favour of plaintiff. He thought accommodation could be arranged for the defendant and his family in the boardinghouse. He made ail order for vacation within 14 days. SECOND CROP OF APPLES (0.C.) WHAKATANE, Tuesday A resident of Whakatane has an apple tree bearing its second crop this season. The first crop was particularly heavy and the second is also a good one. The apples are of the Irish Peach variety. FROST AT WHANGAREI (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Tuesday The first frost of the year was experienced in Whangar&i this morning. A fin« day followed.