TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, 15th JANUARY, 1941. MONEY FOR SOLDIERS.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4378, 15 January 1941, Page 4

TE AWAMUTU COURIER. Printed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, 15th JANUARY, 1941. MONEY FOR SOLDIERS.

A MATTER which has occasioned a good deal of comment in Te Awamutu forms the subject of a Ministerial statement to-day, it being announced by the Minister of Finance that the limit on remittances to soldiers, overseas has been raised from £2O to £3O per man per annum, both amounts being in New Zealand currency. Even with the increase there will still be a general concensus of opinion that the limit is far too low; that it imposes a disproportionate sacrifice on the soldiers overseas who have already sacrificed far more than

most people who remain at home. What causes most protest, however, is the fact that those who would, as far as they are able, alleviate the lot of serving relations have legal bounds placed on their generosity. In deed, there is a case on record in Te Awamutu at Christmas time where a father was unable to remit to England money which his own son had left in his safe-keeping. Such a position is absurd and illustrates how far the State “ control ” method extends in ordering private life. Mr Nash, in his reply to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said the question was one “of weighing one sacrifice against another.” Such an argument is ridiculous and fatuous; no sacrifice in New Zealand can be compared with the sacrifice made by a man who has gone overseas. Yet, even then, under the existing system the people of New Zealand cannot endeavour to level up the degree of sacrifice. The Government says £3O (New Zealand currency) a year (between eight and nine shillings sterling a week) is sufficient for the soldier. Such a contention is arrant bunkum. Ask any returned soldier !