DEFENCE COMMISSION ENQUIRY

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11531, 7 May 1918, Page 8

DEFENCE COMMISSION ENQUIRY

(Per Press Aasoeißtlofi.)

Wellington, May 7.

Major Griffin, Director of Financial Services, gave further evidence to-day to the Defence Expenditure Commission on the subject of differential allowances. These were, he; said, made by the Cabinet on the recommendation of Colonel Gibbon. T. S. Ronaldson, chairman of the Soldiers Financial Assistance Board, stated that when the Board was satisfied there was a hardship it could give relief up to £3 addi tional to any wage received, '„but it Had to be subject to an allotment jTof 8s Gd per day for a woman without ~a child, whose husband went to the front. That meant £llß 12s Gd a year. £9O a year was the minimum for a woman to 'teed and clothe herself. The Board took into consideration the pre war earnings of soldiers and the consequent state of living of his wife, but did not take into consideration the personal earnings of the wife in poor circumstances If a man wss killed the Board kept up help until the woman .received a pension. Up to the end of Af ril the Minister had approved of grants in 5191 cases, at an annual expenditure of £164,240. ■- After receiving cases consequent on increased separation allowance made in January, reductions were made totalling £SS,SIO annually. There was no overlapping between the Board acd Patriotic Societies.