SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 23

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS.

LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT

FLAT RATE OF Is 6d PER DAY

WELLINGTON, September 19. The following scheme of soldiers' gratuities was submitted to the House of Representatives this afternoon by Sir James Allen. NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. (a) Estimated cost of paying a- gratuity at Is 6d per day from embarkation to the signing of peace (June 28, 1919), £5,075,000. (b) Additional to provide for a minimum gratuity for two years' service in the case of members deceased while on active service abroad, £225,000. (c) Additional to provide for a minimum gratuity for 18 months' service in the case of members evacuated to New Zealand from an actual theatre of war on account of sickness or wounds, £213,000. NEW ZEALANDERS IN IMPERIAL NAVAL AND MILITARY FORCES.

(d) Estimated cost of paying difference between Imnerial and New Zealand gratuity. _(ij Army reservists and Imperial soldiers, £16,000; (2) naval reservists and members of motor boat patrol, £23,000. RETROSPECTIVE AND OTHER ALLOWANCES.

(e) Retrospective children's allowance; £249,000. , , „ (f) Estimated cost increased allowance to •widowed mothers and other dependents on revised basis of pre-enlistment support up to a maximum of 3s per day, with retrospective effect, if necessary, £50,000. (g) Estimated cost of retrospective payment at Expeditionary Force rate of pay to members of the New Zeaalnd Expeditionary Forces (including home service branch) who received the lower Territorial rate of pay for the first calendar month of their servicp in camp in New Zealand, £107,000. (h) Estimated cost of paying the difference between the Imperial rates of pay and allowances and the New Zealand rates for equivalent ranks to army and navy reservists, nurses, soldiers who enlisted in Imperial units, members of motor boat patrol, ■who wero domiciled in New Zealand: —(1) Married (less any supplementeary allowance already paid from New Zealand funds), £18,840; (2) single, £81,540. Grand total, £6,043,380. PENSIONS.

It is proposed:— :•' (a) To remove by legislation the restriction which now debars the payment of tho disablement pension to the wife of a disabled soldier who marries outside New Zealand after disablement, provided the marriage takes place* during the period of his military service. (b) To give power by legislation to the War Pensions Board to consider for pension 'special cases where marriage with a disabled feoldier takes place more than two years after discharge if the special circumstances, warrant the grant of a disablement pension. LIFE INSURANCE PREMIUMS. If a returned soldier not in receipt of a pension wishes to insure his life any loading of premium on account of impaired health occasioned by service will be paid by the Government, provided that: (a) Insurance is effected through the Government Life Insurance Department; (b) the sum assured does not exceed £500; (c) the soldier makes application on or before December 31, 1921; .(d) the soldier has paid the ordinary premium. Application should be made to the secretary of the Financial Assistance Board, Panama street, Wellington. Sir James Allen moved that the Paper be laid on the table of tho House and printed. Sir Joseph Ward said the matter was a very important' one, but in the form in which it was brought down no_ one had an opportunity of going carefully into the proposal. He thought that members should have an opportunity of consulting with their fellow members about' them. They might agree with them or they might not, but he was not prepared blindly to accept them. He suggested that the debate should be adjourned till Tuesday, so that members would have time carefully to consider them. He might even have to move a motion on the matter.

Mr Massey: The hon. gentleman can obstruct" if he likes.

Sir Joseph Ward said he had not thought of obstruction.

Mr Massey said the hon. gentleman should wait <-ill he knew what the Government proposed to do. Sir Joseph Ward said he had an undoubted right to ask for time in consideration of the proposals, and he was not seeking to obstruct. He merely made a friendly suggestion. Mr Massey said the position was that the Government haa power and authority under the existing legislation to pay the gratuities out without delay, but it had no intention of doing so. It had taken members into its confidence, but he had noticed during the last few days a tendency to obstruct business. Mcmbe.'s: No, no!

Mr Massey said that what he had in his mind was, as soon as the Minister cf Defence finished his statement, to ask the House to adjourn till 7.30, so that in the interval members might have an opportunity calmly to consider the proposals. Sir Joseph Ward said the proposals were tco big and important to be rushed through. He again asked that the discussion he adjourned till Tuesday. Mr Wilford said that every member had responsibility in this matter, and each was entitled to all the information, so that he would be in % position thoroughly to understand and explain the scheme when ho went before his constituents. Mr Holland claimed that there was a wider principle at stake than that members should understand the proposals. The people should have an opportunity of understanding them. The gross total proposed to bo sj ent by the Minister fell short by one-half of what the returned soldiers asked for.

Sir James Allen: That is quite wrong. The amount is larger than that asked for by the returned soldiers. Mr Holland declared that members were evidently expected to swallow everything put before them, but they were not going to do it. They wanted time to consider the proposals, and a week was neither here

nor there. If the Government was not prepared to adjourn the discussion till Tuesday it would be a fair thing to divide the House. If the proposals were carried through in their present form he ventured to" say that the Government would have every returned soldier against it. 'J. he Hon. Mr Russell pointed out that by an Act passed by the National Government the present Government had power to pay gratuities without further authority, but he asked if the Government proposed to pass the scheme en bloc without giving members an opportunity to consider its details and suggest amendments. If so, he was pre. pared to join with any other members to prevent it from doing so. The Hon. Mr Hanan said he hoped this

matter would not be made a political football by the House. At the same time, he advised the Government not to adopt an attitude which would look as if it was trying to rush this thing through. Mr M'Combs stressed the point that the people had a right to understand the proposals as well as members, and, therefore, delay was advisable. Sir Jorsn Fi.-day. by way of compromise, suggested that the House should accept the Prune Minister's proposals and adjourn till 7.30, and then, if members still wanted time to consider the matter, perhaps a further adjournment might be granted. Mr Massey said he would to that. If members were not prepared to go on at '(.60 hr> would consider what was the next best thing- tp do. Sir Jas. Allen said that so far as the law was concerned there was no need to bring . the scheme before the House at all, but as members were in session he thought it was ri:ght_ to place the matter before them. VI e position was clearly set out in the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act, and lie wished to remove what ho feared vv;s a common misapprehension—that this was a payment for services rendered. It was free and from the people of New Zealand to the men who went away with the Expeditionary Forces. In this connection ho wished to make an appeal to the people of New Zealand. This money had to come out of the £10,000,000 loan now being raised, and his lequest was that all the people should join in making this gift by subscribing to the loan. It had been sidd that the returned soldiers would iot approve of this scheme, but he knew tl at the amount granted was larger than that suggested by the Returned Soldiers' Association. At the same time he wanted to make it clear that in voting such a 'arge sum there was no idea on the part of the Government that it could buy the returned soldiers' vote. He had not made this matter a party question. He had t-ied to get the amount fixed before the National Go-vernment broke up. He then proceeded to explain the details of the scheme as set out in the Paper to be laid on the table. The rate of the gratuity was to be on a flat rate of Is 6d from the date of embarkation to the signing of peace. He was personally not enamoured of a flat rate because he thought an officer should receive more than a private, but he had been led to accept it, not by pressure from his colleagues, bufc by the attitude of the officers themselves. A Main Body man would thus receive a gratuity for four years and 225 days wherever h e was discharged. There were additional amounts provided for those killed and those disabled while on active service. Thousands of forms of application would be. issued in a week's time, but he asked all concerned to exercise as much patience as possible in case there was any delay, as the task was a large one. It was proposed that if an applicant had a banking account-to pay the amount into it. If not, a Post Office Savings Bank account would be opened for him and he could operate on it at once, but he trusted that in all cases it would bo used with discretion.' He appealed to the men if they had no immediate use for the money to let it remain in the bank or put it into war certificates. He quoted figures comparing the gratuities paid in Canada with New Zealand, showing that with gratuities, privileges, and assistance in cases of hardship the New Zealand soldier was infinitely better off than the Canadian regarding conditions. He had given them his most careful personal consideration, because he felt them worthy of whatever time, patience, and ability he could bestow on them. He trusted that the returned soldiers would accept the gratuity as a willing and grateful gift from the people of New Zealand, and he asked members to lift such an important matter far above party strife. In reply to Mr Ngata, the Minister said he would have the Paper translated into Maori and put up in all post offices. The motion that the Paper be laid on the table and be printed was carried. The Prime Minister moved that the debate be adjourned till 7.30. Sir Joseph Ward again pressed the Prime Minister to say what the position was to be then if members were not prepared to accept the proposals. Mr Massey said he would consider his next best thing to do. On this a lengthy and desultory discussion took place, in which members wanted to know what power they had to amend the proposal if necessary. They were told that they could reduce the amount, but not increase it. Sir Joseph Ward asked the Prime Minister if the Government wanted the opinion of the House on the proposals. If so, in what form was it prepared to take it? Sir James Alien said that members could give their opinion by debate and amend-, ment Tho laying on the table of a Paper was the usual way and the only way in which these proposals could be put before the House Iti had been brougat down in tho hope that it might be accepted unanimously. ~ . ~ T, • After some further discussion the Prime Minister's motion was agreed to, and the House rose at 4.50 p.m. When the House resumed at '.30 p.m., Sir Joseph Ward said that since tho adjurnment he had consulted with members of his party on the subject of the gratuities. and they had come to the conclusion that they would have to ask the- Prime Minister to carry out his promise as they understood it—that he would adjourn the debate till Tuesday—and he now made that request. Mr Massey said he recognised the seriousness of the proposals, and ho thought members of the Opposition would recognise that the boys deserved what was proposed. Tho Government was prepared to go on with them, but tho Opposition evidently was not. He felt sure that he had the m-aioritv of the House behind him, but he had no intention of using that majority, because ho recognised that if they went on with the discussion it would only result in an unseemily wrangle, which would be. no credit to Parliament and New Zealand.

He was therefore prepared to accede to the request to adjourn the debate, but it could not come on on Tuesday. Sir Joseph Ward said he hoped no one would, think that ho desired an adjournment of the debate merely out of caprice. It was only to secure the necessary time to look into the proposals. Mr Poland said he regretted the proposal to adjourn. H© was prepared to speak his mind on the subject of gratuities, and ; as usual, it would not be sympathetic criticism, for ho did not consider 10s 6d per week anything like what the soldiers should have received.

On Sir Joseph Ward's motion the debate was adjourned till the next sitting day.

CANADIAN GRATUITIES.

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

WELLINGTON, Sept. 19

In an hour's speech Sir Jaa. Allen made a comparison of the benefits given to Canadian and New Zealand soldiers (privates).

The Canadian gratuitv, S : r James said, was the highest of which he had any knowledge. It was paid on a basis which he regarded as unsound, and % comparison with the New Zealand rate was not easy to make. A Canadian soldier who had served for 11 months would receive £43 153 if he was single. A New Zealand soldier, if single, for 11 months' service would receive £25 2s 6d, but the New Zealand soldier had received 5d per day higher pay than the Canadian, the d : fference amounting to £7 for the period named. A New Zealand soldier received 28 days' leave on full pay prior to discharge, representing a sum of £7 (in the ease of single men), and he also received railway privileges worth £6, bringing the total to £45 2s 6d. The comparison for other periods wo'dd *v» as follows: 9.7 i months' service—Canadian £s° A - °' (single), New Zealander £52 10s, raised to £BO 10s by the ndd.it/ons given above; 35 months' service—Canadian £72 (single), New Zealander £79. raised to £ll4- ni months' service—Canadian £B7 (single)', New Zealander -Pio7 rising to -IKI TV Canadian rate did not go anv higher. A New Zealand Main Bodv soldier for the full period covered by the cratiiity would receive £l2B 14s gratuitv. r>l«s other benefits amounting to about £SO. as compared with the Canadian rates. The Canadians had no financial assistance scheme. The Canadian scheme gave an enormous advantage to officers. Canadian married soldiers for the above rjeriods would £62 10*. £B3 6s Bd. £lO4 3s 4d. and £125.

Comparisons for New Zealand married men were not given.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. AMENDMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. (Fbou Odk Own Corhespondent.) WELLINGTON, September 24. In opening the debato on the soldiers' gratuities nroposals to-day, Sir James Allen said that trie men who served on the Philomel would rece.ve the same gratuity as members of the Expeditionary Force. The soldiers who had been in hospital in New Zealand after disembarkation were covered, he thought, by the provision that a minimum gratuity for 18 months should be paid, whatever the date of disembarkation, but if this provision did not do full justice to all the men he hoped to get over the difficulty. He had been in consultation with his officers on the point. The Minister made a comparison between the New Zealand and Canadian rates, which on the whole jvas in favour of New Zealand. The Minister added that in addition to the moneys already mentioned, financial assistance had been granted to New Zealand soldiers in cases of hardship as from January 16, 1917. The average annual payment per applicant had been £3O. Canada had no scheme of financial assistance. New Zealand's financial assistance was a gift to the soldiers, and did not require to be repaid. The estimated total of the war service gratuity in Canada was roughly £20,000,000, and the New Zealand total was slightly more than £6,000,000. The Canadian gratuity on a population basis ought to amount to £42,000,000 to equal the New Zealand liability. The Minister mentioned that the home service gratuity was included in the Canadian total, but not in the New Zealand total. If this amount were deducted the comparison would be increasingly in New Zealand's favour.

In conclusion, the Minister stated what New Zealand had done for the soldiers under the repatriation and pension schemes. The Prime Minister stated that he thought 25,000 copies of the Minister's statement should be printed and circulated for the information of the people of New Zealand. The discussion on the Government's gratuitv scheme was then called on.

Sir Joseph Ward said the statement just read went to prove the reasonableness of the request which he had made for delay in the discussion. On the point of the treatment of sick men the Minister himself wanted still further time to consider it, and if the Minister required further time, how much more did members need it? He found fault with the proposed treatment of wounded men in the matter of gratuities. A man who came back to New Zealand and remained in hospital should not be treated less favourably than a man who remained in England. He also objected to the method of computing the value of the gratuity by first taking into account the allowances and privileges triven to the soldiers. It was most unfair to give with one hand and take it away with the other. He had no wish to obstruct the Government in this matter, but he felt bound to suggest that there ought to have been a difference made in favour of married men. The proposals made for the married men were inadequate, and what about the seamen who had been engaged in the war zone as m:nesvTCcpers or in the mercantile marine? They certainly should be included. He could not see anything indicating that the nurses were included.

Sir James Allen : The nurses are all in eluded. They are members of the Expedi tionary Force; but V.A.D.'s are not in eluded.

Sir Joseph Ward said lie thought they should have been. There were men who went out to figrht and who were wounded or fell They came back, but after a time their health" was restored, and they enlisted again. There appeared' to be no provision for counting the time between the enlistments.

Sir James Allen said there was provision for a minimum of 18 months.

Sir Joseph Ward said no one understood that to bo' so, but it would bo satisfactory

if points such as this were cleared tip as they went along. Then there were men who sold their farms or businesses, and no allowance seemed to be mads for that sacrifice. It might cost £500,000, but whatever it cost the right thing should be done. He wished to see the matter of gratuities cleared of all complications. He therefore thought the soldiers should get 2s per day. He had previously expressed this opinion to some of those associated with him. Hon. Members:* Why did you not say so to the National Government? Sir Joseph Ward: There was no opportunity of doing so. Sir James Allen: It was discussed by the National Government. Sir Joseph Ward: Rut not settled. Sir Allen: Yes, and settled; and I stated so in the House.

Sir Joseph Ward: If the hon. gentleman will tax his memory he will remember that he came to mo and told me that he made the statement with th© authority of the Prime Minister, but I was not consulted. Before sitting down, he moved that tho gratuity scheme be referred back to the Government for further consideration. The Hon. Mr MacDonald seconded tho amendment. He said he did not desire to embarrass the Government, and he certainly did not approve of th/3 action of soldiers or ethers who sought to demand excessive allowances from tho Government at the bayonet's point, but he did think that before this matter was finally determined they should give it every consideration. He therefore supported the amendment. The Hon Mr Hanan said it was not a question of what New Zealand was doing in comparison with other countries, bnt what was our duty. There was undoubtedly much, wea'th in New Zealand that was now escaping German taxation because our soldiers helped to win the war. Could we not dr>_ something to make that wealth pav. something more for the men who saved it? He thought we could. Our first duty was to the mcn i who defended tho country. Mr Dpwnle Stewart said it was difficult to find a principle on which the gratuity should bo bas"d. The-only basis which he thought could be considered was that which other countries had adopted. He thought the Minister's comparison with other countries was fair, and the proposals were made in excess of what the Returned Soldiers' Association had suggested. So fa ras it was possible to get an expression of opinion he believed the Returned Soldiers' Association was prepared to accept tho proposals. Mr Holland said tho Labour Party would view this matter from th© point of view of the working men. Ninety per cent of the soldiers were working men, and these were being offered the stons of Is 6d per day instead of the bread of 4s per day whicn they asked for. Mr Poole said the fact that the Minister was not fully conversant with tho effect ot all his proposals was a good reason why they should bo referred back for further consideration. He made a strong appeal for recognition of the men of tne mercantile marine in connection with any schema of gratuities. Tho Hon. Mr H:ne agreed with the last speaker as to the splendid service rendered by the mercantile marine, but said this was not the pl4l.ee in which to recognise that service. There were shipping companies in the dominion, and they were the people who should make this provision. As to the amendment he had a shrewd suspicion that if the Government had brought down 2s the Leader of the Opposition would have proposed 2s 6d, if tho Government had proposed 23 6d Ite would have advocated os, and so on, because he was determined to go one better than tho Government. Personally he thought tho Minister ha<. fairly met all claims in the scheme before 1 the House, which was better than, the scheme formerly proposed by the National Government, of which Liberals were members. Hs strongly favoured a flat rate, because the officers were well paid for then' services in the forces. He rebuked tin Labour Party —" the immaculate- five' j for demanding better treatment for soldiers when it did its best to prevent any soldier from going to the front. These men called out for a greater contribution from the accumulated wealth, but he could assure them that accumulated wealth, would have to make a m-oper tribute to the country. ■ The Government had taxing power, and it would be its duty to -see that wealth paid its proper share. He personally was well satisfied with the gratuity. He was not going to say that the proposals of toe Government were all that the country could afford, but they must not forget that this was not tho last they would have to to for the soldiers, for great work had yet to 'be done in the matter of repatriation. He appealed to soldiers not to waste the gratuity, but to use it wisely and economically: , „ Sir John Findlay said the Government should withdraw the proposals: (1) Because tho Minister of Defence had admitted that he wanted further time to examine tho effect in some cases, and (2) because tnere was no differentiation made between a married and a single soldier. Ho thought the Prime Minister could, under all the circumstances, withdraw the proposals -without the least loss of dignity for the reasons disclosed in the debate. Mr Massey deprecated any attempt to make this a party question. Members of tho Opposition: We don t want to make it a party question. Mr Massey said ho was glad to have tnat a<*iurance becwiso he was anxious to do tho right thing. At tho same time, he recognised that we were faced with a serious financial posit ; on. He had always believed that wo would not get through the war at a cost of under £100,000,000. Re now knew that it would cost more than £100,000.000, and that aspect would have to be taken into consideration. He compared the c-ratuity paid to the soldiers after the Boer war by a Liberal Government, when privates got £5. with tho proposals of his Government. Something had bsen said about the mercantile marine. Ho recognised the great value of that service, and he reminded the House that since June. 1916. a special war bonus was paid by tho shipping companies to men cresting the war zone. At the same time, he recognised thar tho dominion had some responsibility to the men on the ships used as transports prior to their being taken over by the Imperial authorities, and it would be the duty of the Government to consider what that responsibility was. He would find out what was being dono in Britain, but he certainly would not agree to a gratuity for officers unless it was Also civen to the men. Rfgardinjr the amendment, he said he could not help thinking' that it was a party move. That was the view th© majority of the public would take of it. It was for th© publio to judge of what lihe Government

had done, and if thoy were not satisfied they had their remedy at tho polls. Sir Joseph Ward, by way of personal explanation, denied that he had been actuated by a spirit of party. His coursa was perfectly constitutional, and nothingwould deter him from doing- his constitutional duty.

Mr Poland deprecated the inequalities in our pension system under which the wifo of a colonel received £3 8s per week for life, while th-3 v ifo of a sergeant-major, with three children, received only £3 3.09 per wceik. He regretted that the' Government had done nothing for th-s soldiers that was not wrung out of it. He approved of the flat rate, and said the same principlei should prevail in our pension system. 'So far as gratuities were concerned, he thought the m?n were entitled to 3s per day, because that amount had been stopped out: of their pay when they went away to fight. This could just as easily be given as the Is 6d proposed by tho Government. The Hon. Mr Myers admitted tliat it waa most diffioult to decide whether tho amount of the gratuity should be Is 6d or 3s, bul ho thought that when -the country did anything in tho matter it should do it handsomely. He thought the. criterion of what) should be paid was tho ability of tho country to pay, and in this connection ho quoted the deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank «?s evidence of the country's prosperity, to say nothing of some in war leans raised in the country and a surplus of £15,500,000 in revenue, which had accumulated during the- past fsw years. As Acting _ Miniser of Finance for some years, he said he country could afford to do better for the soldiers than tho Government proposed. If extra taxation was necessary, that taxation must bo put on tha shoulders of those best able to boar it. He appealed to the Prime Minister not to regard. Sir Joseph Ward's motion as a party move. Mr Harris said he had received many telegrams from his constituents on the subject of gratuities, and every one of them was favourable to tho proposals. Ho was therefore going to support the Govern' ment.

After the supper adjournment the debate was continued by Mr Hornsby, who contended that the question of gratuities was 0113 that should have- been settled before the Liberal Ministers left the National Government. Aa it was, tho cupidity of tho soldiers had been aroused, with degrading 1 results. He would oppose the amendment. Mr Jennings appealed to tho Prime Minister to reconsider the position of married men and those who had been killed and had left dependents. J Tho Hon. Mr Russell criticised the method by which the proposals had been brought down, and which he thought was intended to achieve a party advantage. He did not altogether approve of the form of tho amendment, as he thought the House should say that a larger sum should be paid, nob out of loan, but out of the accumulated surpluses. If the money were paid out of loan tho men who received it would hava for years to pay back by interest and sinking fund money which was supposed to be a gift. With some of the proposals ha agreed. The only point on which he differed from the Government was as to the amount. The country was extremely wealthy,.and he thought the amount of tho gratuity should bo 2s 6d per day, which would cost £9,166,Q(X> —less than the accumulated sur-. plus in hand.

Mr Parr said that if Mr Russell thoughtit fair to use the surplus for gratuities it was equally fair to use it for repatriation, as the Government proposed. He regretted the disunion of the House on the point, because the proposal by Sir Joseph Ward! meant delay, and it would have been a gracious act if the House could have come to a unanimous agreement on the proposals, about which he felt sure 80 per cent, of the soldiers and civilians were agreed. Mr Craigie said he thought the Government had done pretty well, and he regretted that there had been so much huckstering in connection with tho soldiers. The responsibility for - the amount must rest with the Government, but he thought it would have been better if a levy on tho wealth of the country had been made to carry on the war rather than by loan, towards which the soldiers would have to pay their quota. The gratuity was not, therefore, a free gift. Mr Brown said New Zealand had fattened on the war, and he urged that some of the fat should be ociven back to the soldiers. The amount ought to be increased by at least 50 per- cent. After midnight the debate was carried on by Messrs Anderson, Isitfc, Buddo. Witty, Field (Nelson). Seddon. and the Hon. Mr Coates, Dr Thaeker, Messrs Wright and Semple. ' (Left sitting.) PROPOSAL TO RECIPIENTS. MANUFACTURING COMPANY SUGGESTED. WELLINGTON, September 24. Colonel Mitchell, D. 5.0., addressing tho local Returned Soldiers' Association, outlined a proposal that 25,000 returned soldiers invest £lO each out of their gratuity to form a company to establish a woollen mill, a tannery, and a boot factory for manufacturing standard lines of woollen goods, boots, and shoes, thus providing employment for returned soldiers and cheapening production.

CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO THEM.

In connection with the gratuities proposed to be granted to soldiers, a precis of which has already been published in our columns, the- following: conditions are attached : OVERSEAS WAR SERVICE GRATUITY.

1. Tho scale in accordance with which the amount of bonus payable as an overseas war service gratuity to members of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force having been fixed at Is 6d per day by Order* in-Council, tho said gratuity will be determined subject to tho following conditions. 2. The gratuity cannot be claimed or recovered by any person as a matter of right, but shall be deemed to be a frco gift by the State in recognition of the honourable service of members of the Expeditionary Forces in the present war, and may in any case be withheld or deferred at the discretion of the Minister of Defence.

3. Service for the gratuity will be active service within periods beginning August 4-, 1914, and ending on tho date of the signing of peace, viz.—June 28, 1919, inclusive. 4. The gratuity will commence to run for, each member of the New Zealand Ex* peditionary Force from and including th. 4

date of embarkation or ro-embaxkation from New Zealand on active service, or date of enlistment abroad in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, up to and including tho clato of decease or discharge abroad, or the date of disembarkation on return to New Zealand, or June 23, 1919, whichever comes first. 5. In the case of members who died ■while on active service beyond the seas tho period for which the gratuity will be payable shall not be less than two years. 6. In case of members evacuated sick or wounded from an actual theatre of war and returned to New Zealand as unfit for further overseas service, the period for which tho gratuity will be payable shall not be less than 18 calendar months. The term "theatre of war" shall be as defined in regulations approved from time to time for the issue of war medals.

7. Except in the case of members who died on active service abroad, the following periods of service will not reckon as qualifying service for the purpose of gratuity :

(a) Any period for which gross pay was forfeited by Royal Warrant. (b) Any period of service exceeding 28 days for which gross pay was ordered to be forfeited. (c) Any period of service during which hospital stoppages have been charged for illness the result of misconduct, or for 'illness caused by a soldier rendering himself unfit for service.

The above sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) will not apply to any period of service for which forfeitures have been remitted.

8. The gratuity or balance of gratuity in the case of a member not already discharged or deceased will nob be issuable earlier than 28 days after his return to New Zealand.

9. Any over-payment made to any member or to his dependents, or any public claim chargeable against him by a Government department, will be deducted from the gratuity. ••■■ '•'■'■' , 10. Where it appears that any member has, while in the service omitted to mako proper provision for his wife' and children, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or in any case in which the circumstances seem to him to so require, tho Minister of DeFence may direct that the gratuity be applied in or towards the making of provision so far as possible for the said wife or children or as the circumstances may demand. The Defence Department may pay to a person or society considered to be able to distribute the money in the best interests of the family. 11. Inthe case of any member who, after service in the Expeditionary Foripe beyond the seas, has died whilst still a member of that force; or who, after such service beyond the seas, has died after being honourably discharged from that force, but without receiving such gratuity, the gratuity may be paid to or divided between his widow, children, father, or mother, as provided by section 7, sub-section (3), of-the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act, 1918.

12., The gratuity will not be paid in the .case of an officer whoso services are dispensed with or who has resigned or has been struck off the strength from any cause which, in the opinion of the General Officer .Commanding, disqualifies him for the gratuity. „ .13. The gratuity will not be paid in the case of a soldier—

(a) Discharged with ignominy, or on account of misconduct. (b) Undergoing a sentence of penal servitude, imprisonment, or detention at the expiration of which ho is discharged under (a) above.

14. Application forms (E.F. Pay Form "192) for gratuity will bo distributed to all post offices throughout New Zealand. These forms must be completed where necessary and forwarded to the Office* in Charge War Expenses, Wellington. In the case of deceased members the applications should be. made by their legal representatives. ■' 15., When the form is received in the pay-; office it will bo numbered and dealt with strictly in order of receipt. Owing to the very large number of cases it will be some time before they can all be investigated, so that applicants must not expect payment at once. The. application will be examined by the Pay Office and the gratuity calculated. The amount due will be remitted to the Postal Department for either—

(a) Depositing to the credit of the appresent account in the Post Office'savings. Bank; or (b) Depositing to the credit of a Post Office Savings Banlc account which will be specially . opened if the appli-

cant has no other bank account; or (c) Lodgment at any bank or private savings bank in New Zealand at which the applicant has a current account as shown in the application ; or (d) _ Payment to or for the person entitled under paragraph 11 hereof.

In no case Avill the amount bo paid direct to the member by the Pay Office. SEPARATION ALLOWANCE, NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (FOREIGN SERVICE BRANCH)

1. It has beeft approved that the sent rate of 3s a day separation allowance payable to the wives of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the foreign service branch of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, or to the guardians of their motherless children, and the present rate of Is 6d per .day paid on behalf of their children, shall apply with retrospective effect from the date of the commencement of the war—i.e., August 4, 1914—within periods of service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

2. These allowances are payable only on behalf of soldiers who left New Zealand for overseas service, and will commence to run from the date of issue of the first military pay in each case, provided the soldier was attached to an overseas draft. .No payment will bo made for any period in New Zealand whilst the soldier was performing home service duties. Where the date of marriage or- the date of birth of a child is later than the date of the issue of first military pay the married allowance will run from the date of marriage, and children's allowance from the date of the birth of tho child. 3. Owing to tho incomplete records in 1914 and 1915. and the consequent difficulty in ascertaining tho actual dates of the* first issue of pay. the following dates will be adopted for the purposes of this order as tho dates on which pay was first issued to men. belonging to the under-mentioned portions of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force :

Advance Party (Samoa), August 8, 1914

Main Body and Ist Reinforcements, August 12, 1914. 2nd Reinforcements, October 4, 1914. 3rd Reinforcements. December 11. 1914. 4th Reinforcements, January 6, 1915. sth Reinforcements, February 10, 1915. 6th Reinforcements, April 18, 1915. Rifle Brigade (Ist and 2nd Battalions), June 3, 1915. 4. Married allowance has already been paid as under: Warrant Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men.

Wives — Is a day from June 1, 1915, to December ■3l 1917. 33 a day from January 1, 1918. Guardians of motherless children— Is a day from June 1, 1916, to April 30, 1918. 3s a day from May 1, 1918. Arrears are therefore payable as follow: — Warrant Officers, Non-commissioned Officers, and Men.

Wives— • 3a a day from dates shown in paragraphs' 2 and 3 to May 31, 1915. 2s a day from June 1, 1915, to December 31, 1917. Guardians of motherless children — 3s i a day from the dates shown in paragraphs 2 and 3 to May 31, 1915. 2s a day ffom Juno 1, 1915, to April 30, 1918 - , , „ • 5. Children's allowance at tho following rates has already been paid as under: — 6d a day from Juno 1, 1915, to June 30, 9d a day from July 1, 1916, to December 31 1917. Is a day s from January 1, 1918, to April 30, 1913. Is 6d a day from May 1, 1918. Arrears are therefore payable as follow: — Is 6d a day from dates shown in paragraphs 2 and 3 to May 31, 1915. Is a day from June 1, 1915, to June 30, 1916. 9d a day from July 1, 1916, to December 31,1917. 6d a day from January 1, 1918, to April ,30, 1918. •". 6. The restrospective principle, as regards married allowance of 3s a day ia also applicable to officers holding the rank of lieutenant or second lieutenant up to December 31, 1917, on whoso behalf married allowance has been payable from January 1, 1918, to March 31, 1918, when the rate of officers' pav was increased and the allowance . ceased. Arrears are therefore payable to their wive» or to tho guardian of their motherless children at the rate of 3s a day from the dates shown in paragraphs 2 and 3 up to December 31, 1917 (inclusive). Children's allowance, whether retrospective or otherwise, is not payable on behalf of any officer. 7. The payee generally will be identical with the* person who is drawing or has already drawn separation allowance. In case of misconduct, desertion, or decease of the original payee, the department reserves the right not to make any payment, or to pay to a person or society considered in the best interests of the soldier's family. Any such amount shall not be claimable by the soldier. 8. In tho case of a deceased soldier payment will be made up to the date of decease or to the date to which separation allowance or allotment was continued if later, but not after December = 31, 1917, for married allowance, or April 30, 1918, for children's allowance. 9. Payment will only be issued on application, which should be made by letter addressed to the officer in charge War Expenses, Wellington. The following particulars are required:— Regimental number, rank, and full name of soldier. Reinforcement to which attached. Date of discharge or decease. Full name and address of applicant.

10. There will bo deducted from amounts payable under this order any payments already made under the authority of Special General Order 188, of 1919, which is hereby cancelled. 11. Widowed mothers and other dependents of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men (except wives and children) who have not applied' for or received any dependents' allowance, may now apply by letter to the Officer in Charge War Expenses. Wellington, for an allowance. (a) Applicants who have already received an allowance which has not been sufficient to remove hardship during military service either by reason of an inadequate amount or by being paid for a portion only of the period of military service - under limitations imposed by previous orders, may apply for their cases to be reconsidered. (b) The Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board will investigate each application and recommend whether an allowance should be granted to those who have not applied for or received an allowance, and to what extent, or whether the allowance should be increased in the case of those who received an inadequate amount preTiously, or whether the period in the latter case should also bo extended. (c) Payments will be made by the officer in'charge War Expenses according to the recommendation of the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board y/ithin periods of service from the beginning of the war. , The rate available for issue will be governed by the extent of the pre-enlistmcmt support of the soldier lees any allotment of pay made by him to or for the dependent, with a "maximum of 3s per day for each dependent, and loss of any payments already made under previous authorities. (d) Pre-enlistment support will not be insisted upon in cases where circumstances have changed since the soldier's enlistment by reason of which the soldier became responsible for the full or partial maintenance of a widowed mother or other dependents. Each case will be considered on its merits by the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board.

12. None of the allowances authorised in this order can be claimed as a right, but are issued at the discretion of the Minister of Defence. Retrospective Payment to Members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who Received Territorial Rates of Pay for First Month in Training Camps.

14. In cases where members of the Zealand Expeditionary Force (including foreign and home service branches) received Territorial rates of pay during fho first month in training camps in New Zealand. their pay will be made up to the Expeditionary Force rates in force at the time from the date of fiv.st issue of military pay. For tho purposes hereof the provisions of paragraph 3 shall applv to those portions of tho Now Zealand Expeditionary Force

mentioned therein. Payment will be mado by the officer in charge, War Expenses, Wellington, on application only. Allowances to New Zcalanders who have Served with Imperial Naval and Military Forces. 15. In the case of persons domiciled in New Zealand who have served in the Imperial Naval and Military Forces during tho war, tho difference between the Imperial rates of pay, allowances, and gratuity and tho New Zealand rates for the same for cquivaknt ranks will be paid, less any amounts already received under previous authorities. For tho purposes of such payment tho pay of a private or equivalent rank in Imperial Forces shall be taken to bo one shilling and sixpence per day. Applications should be made to the Pay-master-general, Treasury, Wellington, who will arrange payment.