MILITARY PAY AND ALLOWANCES

Waikato Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2067, 13 June 1918, Page 5

MILITARY PAY AND ALLOWANCES

As there seems to be a considerable amount of uncertainty regarding pay and allowances to soldiers, particularly now that the Second Division men are being called up, we publish the following data on the subject. This information should be carefully read by all not conversant with the scale of pay and allowances:—

The following is the weekly pay and allowances of a private serving with the New Zealand forces;—Private, £1 15s; wife only £2 IGs; wife and one child, £3 (is Cd; do and two children, £3 17s Od; do and three children, £4 is 6d; do and four children, fl 18s; do and five children, £5 8s Gd. The children’s allowance in New Zealand has recently been increased from 7s to 10s 6d per week, and better provision made for widowed mothers and other dependants of the soldier.

A widowed mother dependent on the soldier, if her total income apart from allotment does not exceed 15s per week or if her capital does not exceed £SOO, is entitled to an allowance of lus fid per week. The practice is to consider the widowed mother eligible for the allowance if she has one soldier son, or if she has one or married sons. If she has two single sons it is considered that the sons ought to be able to provide for their mother b—y allotments. The income which debars the widowed mother from receiving the allowance has quite recently been raised from 10s to 15s per week. This rise makes a widowed mother in receipt of full oldage pension and the w r ar bonus eligible for the allowance. It is also opening the door to widowed mothers have incomes of 15s per week. It also meets the case of a widowed mothers who were in receipt of widows’ pensions on account of their children. The capital which the widowed mother may possess has been increased from £250 to £SOO, thus removing a limitation which prevented some from claiming the allowance. The position of the widowed mother will be : Allotment, say, 21s per week; old age pension, if in receipt thereof, or with other income, 15s per week; widowed mother’s allowance, 10s 6d per week; totalling 46s fid per week.

Other dependents of a soldier, being relatives, will be entitled to claim an allowance oquivalent to the amount paid by the soldier for the support of the relative during the twelve months prior to hia enlistment, provided that this shall not exceed 10s 6d per week. If a private soldier has a widowed mother and a sister dependent on him, and the conditions above stated can be complied with, the position will be:— Single man: Pay, 35s per week; widowed mother, 10s 6d per week; dependent sister up to 10s 6d; total, 565. Married Man with Three Children: Pay 35s per -week; wife 21s per week; 3 children, 31s 6d per week; widowed” mother, 10s Cd per week; dependent sister, up to 10s 6d per week; total, 108 s 6d per week. The soldier is clothed, fed, cared for medically and dentally, and if he has obligations for rent, insurance, interest, etc., he has an opportunity to claim assistance in respect of these from the Financial Assistance Board. The wife of the soldier in case of confinement or having to undeigo an operation can also receive assistance from the Financial Assistance Board. If she or her children become in-pat-ients or out-patients in a public or Government hospital during the soldier’s absence from New Zealand on service, the cost of treatment wfll be borne by the Public Health Department. It will be realised that in very many instances the soldier’s wife, children, and other dependents will be bettor off financially than they were before the soldier’s enlistment. It must also be remembered that the military income of the dependants of a soldier is assured, whereas the husband’s earnings in civil life arc not always continuous, because of such cases of unemployment, sickness, wet weather, etc.