DELAYED GRATUITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 272, 17 November 1945, Page 5

DELAYED GRATUITY

SERVICEMEN INCENSED MARCH ON PARLIAMENT PROPOSED. (P.A.) Auckland, Nov. 16. A statement that he would support a march on Parliament lor lhe purpose of demanding the immediate payment of the gratuity due to servicemen was made to-day by Mr. A. P. Postlewaite, president of the Auckland R.S.A., in an interview. Strongly criticising the Government for what he termed its humbug and dilly-dallying, and stating that returned men would not tolerate this state of affairs any longer, Mr. Postlewaite announced that his association was urging that a conference of returned men held in Welington within the next fortnight, for the purpose of dealing with the gratuity question. “Mr. Nash has taken no notice of our requests, and last night the executive resolved that the payment be made immediately,” he said. “11 is not for the Government or anybody else to say what a man will do with his money, which in the case of the gratuity has been honourably earned. I am ftrmiy convinced that the percentage of abuses wouid be very small indeed. It is well known that there are some abuses of social security, but what a ridiculous thing it would be if these payments were withheld from everyone. I cannot think of any sound argument why the gratuity should be withheld.”