WAR GRATUITY

Wairarapa Age, 20 November 1919, Page 5

WAR GRATUITY

(By (Telegraph—Press Association; WELLINGTON, Last Night.

The applications received for war grauities to November 15 numbered 73,067. The number paid was 19, 313, the amount of the payments being £1,204,323. The Military Headquarters announce that the provisions of the special ganeral order, No. 553-1919, regarding the payment of gratuities, are extended to voluntary aid workers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, who Bigned an agreement to serve With the N.Z'.JS.F., served in that .force for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, were administered by the N.Z.E3?., and were paid from the New Zealand Government .funds. The gratuity will be payable from the date of signature of the agreement,, provided ACS duty waw undertaken without delay. "Where any delay occurred, the case will be referred to General Headquarters tor decision.

posal of Sir Joseph Ward to pay £10,000,000 for the purchase of the Bank of New Zealand. The Commonwealth Bank had been started without any capital, and had grown into a large financial concern. >Why could they not start on similar lines in New Zealand?

SHIPPING. The Labour Party held that, the shipping service, like the land, should be nationalised. The events which had taken place since 1913 went to show that those who assisted the Union Steamship Company to fight the workers had denounced the company for the manner in which it had increased the freights, and some of the biggest Tories had advocatecj the nationalisation of the shipping.

HOUSING. Dealing with the housing' problem, the speaker held that it was the duty of the Government to solve the problem. The Coalition Government had failed to grapple with the situation, and the sooner the Labour Party controlled affairs the better it . would be for all concerned.

THE SOLDIERS. The speaker stated that the right thing should be done by the soldiers, who were not recognised in the manner which they deserved. He stated that the 'country had' borrowed £70,000,000 for tho purposes of the war at 4J per cent, free of incometax. This meant that large investors received from 6 to 7 per cent, for the money, but at an average of 5 per cent, the interest payment was £3,500,000 per annum. The total pensions paid to all the soldiers maimed and broken by the war was approximately £1,500,000. This went to show that the crippled soldiers received £2,000,000 less than those who merely lent their money. Tho total amount paid to soldiers, old people, widows, and incapacitated miners was only £2,364,000. The Shylocks thuA got £1,200,000 a year more than paid in pensions to those already enumerated.

Mr. McLeod touched on the goslow policy of the miners, and stated there were other important points in his platform which he would unfold when he spoke next time.

* QUESTIONS. In answer to questions, Mr. McLeod stated that he was in favour of abolishing the Conscription Act; that he was opposed to the importation of_ Asiatic egg pulp; that he would assist to foster the fishing industry: that he favoured increasing the old age pensions to 25s per week; that he favoured patients being admitted free to hospitals; and that he was entirely opposed to the introduction of Asiatic labour to Samoa. The following motion was carried by acclamation: "That this meeting, after having heard Mr. McLeod, is satisfied that he does not hold extreme views, and that he is a fit and proper person to represent the electorate in Parliament." Cheers were afterwards given for the candidate,