EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5727, 2 October 1914, Page 4

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

RATES OF PAY. By Telegraph.— Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. When the House met at 2.30 p.m., Hon. .fas. Allen made a statement regarding the pay to be yiven to men going to the front. The matter, he said, had given him a good deal ot anxiety. The rate of pay originally fixed was based on what was understood to be the pay given to the contingents sent to South Aricn, but on enquiry he found there were two rates given to the South African contingents, the privates of the later contingents receiving not 4b psr day, but ss. He understood the Australian Government was paying their men 5s per day and Is pel day deferred pay. As against this, however, it must be renumbered that the Australian Government had not adopted the provision we had made for the widows and children, but generally the rate of pay was higher in Australia than in New Zealand. In the circumstances he had approached the Premier and his colleagues, and asked them to agree to raising the men's pay from 4s per day to ss, and corporals from 5.-! 6d to tis per day, so that the pay of everybody would be brought up to the highest rate paid to the South African contingents. In addition, we had made provision for the wives ami children of those going to the front, while most liberal treatment had been given to public servant? who had enlisted. It. had been arranged that the new rate of pay should date from Ist September and would apply to the troops in Samoa as well as those going to He was not able to say at present what would be done for the troops remaining in New Zealand. He thought of recommending a separation allowance to those men who ivere compelled to live away from their families. Discussing-the position of the men in camps and on the ship, Mr Allen said after personal inspection lie considered the food supplied and the sanitary arrangement very gooJ. Any improvements necessary would be made at once.

Sir Joseph Ward approved of the increase in pay. Dealing with the difference in payment between Australia and New Zealand, he pointed nut that in all canes the payment of officers in Australia was higher than here. The Governor-General, Ministers and Supreme Court Judges all received higher payment. If they had attempted to pay the Defence ollicers here on the same as in Australia! it would ha-ve meant turning a hose of vicious hot water on the Defence scheme.

Hon. W. F. Massey said before they left the subject he wished to point out that many school teachers and Civil Servants were with the Expeditionary Force, and there was a difficulty in the way of their keeping up their superannua ! on payments. The Government there." ae intend to keep up all these paynu'its for the men.

Hon, Jas. Allen pointed out that the pay to non-commissioned officers ; would be as follows:—Brigade ser-geant-majors Us per day, and Is Gd per clay held allowance; quartermasters and colour-sergeants 8s per day, and a field allowance of Is 6d per day; sergeants, 7s; and corporals 6s. He did not complain at the difference in pay between New Zealand and Australia. D must be recognised that the pay of a citizen army must be lower than the Imperial army. Mr Allen further dealt with a statement made that the forces being sent uwuy would not be brought back. He warmly denied this; the men would be brought back, cared for if wounded, and if killed their widows would be looked after. He was sending some of the Imperial reservists Home by the mail boat.

Taking the Expeditionary Force at 10,000 men, the increase would represent £SOO a day, or £1b?,500 a year. The pay to troopers under the new scale will be about £25(10 per day, or £912,500 a year. 1 his is for soldiers' wages alone, apart from ollicers, and in addition the Government has undertaken to pay the cost of transport, equipment, and maintenance in the field.