SEPARATION ALLOWANCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17113, 19 September 1917, Page 4

SEPARATION ALLOWANCES.

The Government has no reason to complain of any lack of interest in its inten-, tions with respect to the revision of military pensions and pay. and of the scale of allowances to dependents of married members of the Expeditionary Force. Rather has it found embarrassment in the prodigality of the inquiries and representations that have been addressed to it concerning the subject. Among these representations is one that soldiers' pay and the scale of separation allowances should be fixed by statute and not, as at present, by regulation. While military pensions are fixed by statute, and legislation is therefore necessary to provide for an increase in the scale according to which they are paid, it is left to the discretion of the Government to decide what the rate, not only of soldiers' pay, but also of separation allowances, shall be. Under this arrangement, which is prescribed by "The Expeditionary Forces Act, 1915," the scale of separation allowances—a matter of special interest to members of the Second Division—is regulated purely by the Government. The whole principle of government by regulation is one to which very strong objection may be taken. An' unfortunate effect of the war is that the community is compelled to submit to it to an extent that would, under other circumstances, be altogether intolerable. Still, it is sufficiently manifest that in time of war the Administration must be entrusted witli unusually wide powers. A good many members or Parliament, however, no doubt influenced by the representations of the Second Division League, have evidently arrived at the conclusion that the question of the pay and allowances of soldiers is one that should not be left to the discretion of the Government any more than tho question of military pensions is. It may be surmised that some lack of confidence in either the Government's judgment or the Government's sense of liberality has contributed to the growth of this conviction. If the Governmont were to submit a clear statement of the nature of its proposals with regard to the payment of separation allowances— a more important matter than that of tho actual rate of pay of the soldier— and' if its proposals were of a liberal character, Parliament would in all probability bo quite content to leave the subject as it stands. The Prime Minister has endeavoured to dissipate any apprehension by the promise that, as "wards of the State," the wives and children of members of the Second Division will receive proper consideration, and Sir Joseph Ward has declared that the Cabinet would consider the matter from tho viewpoint'that a man going to fight and leaving dependents behind him is entitled to everything that the country can do for him. It is, of course, to bo remembered that, even though the allowances should, like the pensions, bo fixed by legislation, the House cannot increase the provision proposed by the Govornment, which is master of finance to that extent, but if the provision of allowances should be made under statute, instead of under regulation, the House would at least havo tho opportunity of discussing and criticising the Go- ,

vernment's proposals, and, if it became absolutely necessary, of referring them back to the Government for revision. A distinct advantago, therefore, would

accrue from tho inclusion of the Government's proposals with respect to separation allowances in a legislative measure.