PAY AND ALLOWANCES.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14539, 17 October 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

PAY AND ALLOWANCES.

MINISTER EXPLAINS NEW

SCALE.

" The Minister of Defence moved the second reading of the Bill when thp Souse of Representatives met after the dinner adjournment to-night. .In the course of his explanatory remarks. Sir James Allen expressed the opinion that the first class of tho Second Division, which he anticipated would provide two reinforcements, would probably be called upon to enter camp in either January or February. The Minister gave a detailed explanation of the Bill, comparing it favourably with the pension schemes of other countries, and with the average clerical J~ or artisan wages showing. He described the proposed new scale of pay and allowances

to soldiers' wives and children. "I don't propose to make any alteration I in the pay of either soldiers or otneors,' but it is intended to increase the al-1 lowances to wives to 21s per week," I declared the Minister. He "went on to' explain that under the present, regula-, tions a warrant officer- received G3s per. week and a first lieutenant £4, br,t a lieutenant's wife received no ' allowance, so that with £1 Is allowance to his wife a warrant officer would get the same as a lieutenant. In the proposal a warrant officer with- a wife would receive the same as a second lieutenant, while a warrant officer with one child would be better off than a lieutenant with six children. A single lieutenant would still receive £4 4s. but a. lieutenant's wife would receive £1 Is allowance, making the total pa> £5 ss. It was proposed to increase the children's, allowance from ds 3d to 7s per week, so that a private soldier with a - wife and one child under 16 years of age would reeeiye 63s per week, and 7s for each additional child under 16 years. In respect of dependents other than wives and children, it was proposed to, increase the allowance to a widowed mother dependent on a soldier from 7« to 10s 6d a week, and raise the amount of the increase she may otherwise receive from 7s to 10s. This would enable her to receive the old-age pension of £96 per year and 105.6 d per week.for widowed mother's allowance. In addition, she could also hare an allotment, from a- son-'at the war. At present an invalid father who is a widower and dependent was not provided for, but under the new Army order he would be provided for on the same basis as a widowed mother, while brothers ana sisters under-.'16 would receive 7s per week, the same as other children. Spe^ cial-provision was also made for financial assistance iri respect of mortga-'e money and other liabilities. At present the maximum the board could allow was £2 per week. It was proposed to\raise..the maximum to £3. The Minister gave the following estimates of ,the annual liability" twelve months hence:—

_ Wives, 25,842; allowances, £1,414.----848; increase, £943,232 ' Children, 33,268; cost, £607,t395; increase, £151,024. Widowed mothers, 334: cost, £9053; increase, £2958. ' Total under new rates, £2.037,671 pot. including pay to soldiers. These increases would place New Zealand considerably ahead of any other country in this connection. , Mr Wilford followed the Minister, with a critical 'speech. He suggested an absolute minimum allowance to wive*s of £2 2s independent of soldiers' allotments.

SUDDEN COLLAPSK OF DEBATE

I hough Ministers had assumed that tiie debate would last twa nights, and i members had'privately expressed'their intention of strongly criticising the proposed allowances, the debate collapsed in an extraordinary manner. When the House resumed after the supper adjournment, Mr Speaker rose to put the question, watching members to see who vished to continue the debate, but,--although there wa-s a fair attendance, nobody rose, so Mr Speaker, continued slowly with the usual fqrmula of putting the question that the Bill be read the second time, eventually declaring, "The .ayes ha va it." Then members appeared to be g.uite concerned over the lost opportunity, two Liberals rising, only to be informed they were out of order. The House adjonriied soon afterwards. Many littie groups discussed the unexpected development, some recriminations passing. A. number of members explained their slackness as due to the fact that they were discussing various aspects of the Bill in the lobby with delegates of the Second Division' League. \)ne limited chance of a general debate remains, when the .short title of the Bill is reached in Committee.