TERRITORIAL CAMPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23678, 9 December 1938, Page 4

TERRITORIAL CAMPS

HIGH RATES OF PAY WORLD'S BEST PAID VOLUNTEERS No true volunteer joins the terriI torials because of the money he will j get out of it, but on the other hand ! no man who sacrifices his time and I leisure in undertaking this vital public duty should be out of pocket in doing so. Twelve shillings a day for annual camp and for courses of instruction is the present remuneration to the New Zealand trooper, gunner, private, or whatever other name the bulk of the rank and file may have. This sum is made up of 7s pay and 5s camp allowance paid not only for the six days' annual camp, whi is the climax of the training year and looked forward to with keenness and enthusiasm by every member of every unit, but also for the six-day courses' of instruction held throughout the'year at the army and district schools. That is not the full .. story, although it makes New ■' Zealand volunteers the highest paid in the world. Over and above the pay for six days' training, under the new regulations, they also receive pay for the days spent in travelling to and from the annual camp or course of instruction. In fact, the financial conditipris of service in the territorial force to-day leave.nothing to be desired, Even the •cost of fares to and from all parades, over a reasonable walking distance, are refunded. This has removed one minor grievance which has rankled with the volunteers, and undoubtedly retarded recruiting for a long time. The detailed rates of pay to-day in the Territorial Force are as follows: •;■•.-* •'! • .:\ ■ .•?:',; ' ■'■:%/

•■ This represents an' increase'cf 3s a day all round above, the 1911,scale. Add to this the 5s camp allowance and the fact that rations and quarters are provided free, which probably represents on the average another 3s 6d per day.. The total remuneration received by the volunteer, private is. therefore, in the ■vicinity of 15s 6d, which compares .very .favourably with civilian rates <i)f pay.,. During the last six months approximately 4000 territorial n.c.o.'s and nien have .attended one of the many courses of : instruction';held at the army and district schools, and have, therefore, appreciated to what the above increases mean."'

,' About this time of the year, out-of-camp pay for half the training year is distributed, so that most serving territorials know what benefits they will receive under the new conditions. As a result, the wastage has been reduced, more men are carrying out their full training and, therefore, the efficiency of the force is,improving a great deal. The increase in recruiting is, it not due to the increased remuneration: the Territorial Force does not want, the who is attracted by higher ;'p|yi only, it is the sense of duty '"^lii&^s ;| most valuable.,' : • .■<■ ' ; ':'' *> , Most units-,are now-preparing for the climax of the year's, work-in the annual canjpi which, speaking, is held;, in February,, or March, according to locality-. Attendance depends primarily/ employers, and everything \ points,' to excellent co-operation oh their, part, this year. It is remarkable'rhow' many of them allow 'their- staffs leave on full pay to attend annual camp, but there are naturally,.many, firms who cannot afford to ;V

One very'beneficial effect of the 1 new rates of'pay : bje the'facfc that the,din*qrence between the.miliy'; tary rate of 12s, with free " ; boarfr and lodgings " and the; remuneration received by the > volunteer for his normal civilian qcpupa'tion i -will not be very much, ftith a result that many .will bey prepared to bridge this gap; arid pay the difference. In the 'case of *'civil servants; every Government,. depart-ment-has received clear instructions that members qf;. their staffs are to be released for annual camps on full departmental'jaay or on military pay, whichever is the higher: With the present ■rates, many of the junior public servants will find it preferable to take either annual leave or leave without pay and go to camp on their military pay which will very often be higher than what they are receiving departmentally.

X, s. 0 7 u. 0 0 7 6 Sergeant ... .,. ., .. 0 8 0 Sergeant-major and Staffsergeant .. ...,..•.' 0 8 6 Lieutenant . and Second0 11 0 Captain .. 0 13 0 Major .., ... ;,..,.,; .. 0 15 0 Lieutenant-colonel .. .. 0 18 0 1 4 0