MARRIED RECRUITS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 698, 6 May 1916, Page 10

MARRIED RECRUITS.

PROVISION FOR FAMILIES. Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 5. An important statement regarding the enlistment of married men and the payment of separation allowances has heen made hy the Recruiting Board in a letter addressed to the chairman of the Wellington War Relief Association. The statement says:— "Your association appears to me to he under a misapprehension with respect to the policy of the Recruiting Board in limiting the number of children to whom this allowance will he paid. The board, in deciding that the number should not he increased beyond five, was not actuated by any 'parsimonious or cheeseparing' idea, but fixed the limit wholly and solely so that men with large families should not he encouraged to enlist. The Defence Department has had to contend with such a large number of applications for discharge for this reason, usually a fortnight or a week before the embarkation of each reinforcement, thai steps now are being taken to enquire into the circumstances of men who olfcr themselves for service in all cases where there is reason to believe that a man's family responsibilities are such as to make it inadvisable to enlist him under the voluntary system of enlistment. The Recruiting Board thinks it safe to assume (bat a married man with family responsibilities who enlists knows what he is doing, and is in a position to make adequate financial provision lor his dependents, in which case the board sees no reason why he should not enlist. "With respect to the question of children's allowance to non-commis-sioned ollicers and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who are permanently attached to New Zealand camps, the Cabinet has decided to grant the allowance in the case of all men who are resident in training camps, internment camps, and at forts. The allowance will not be paid with respect to children of, men who Reside at home,'' j