AUSTRALIA’S WAR GRATUITY.

Western Star, 27 April 1920, Page 4

AUSTRALIA’S WAR GRATUITY.

At the second reading of the War Gratuity Bill Prime Minister Hughes explained its provisions in detail, saying that the measure provided for the payment of a flat rate of Is Gd a day from the date of embarkation to the final signing of peace on June 28, 1919; payment to be mode to all members of the forces, naval and military, and A.I.F. and Imperial reservists, or the dependents of deceased soldiers, as well as to doctors and nurses. Payment at the rate of Is per day was included for those members of the A.I.F. who did not leave Australia; and thci payment of the gratuity was to be in the form of

non-UGgotiable bonds, bearing, interest at 5' f per cent., which would be received by the Repatriation Departmerit for certain payments, and cashed by the Treasurer in certain cases of hardship. Referring to the proposals for redemption, he went on to explain that the Treasury was taking up £500,000 worth of bonds per annum from, May, 1921, and the whole! of Australia’s share of the indemnity i to be ear-marked for the purpose, and explained that the Soldiers’ League' accepted and supported this proposal. But the matter was advanced a further stage subsequently, when it was announced that the banks would find £6,000,000 for payment of the gratuity cash to certain classes of soldiers’ dependents and others, and arrangements were made by a large number of employers to cash the bonds of their employees. New South Wales, Victoria, the Queensland Governments agreed to cash bonds of their employees. The scheme was'the one announced by him before the elections, approved by the soldiers’ executive, and put before the people as the scheme which the Government pledged themselves to put into force. The Government were carrying out that pledge. (Hear, hear.) The first point • about the Bill was that it was incomparably the most liberal gratuity scheme throughout the Empire. It was the most democratic, making no distinction between, all classes and. ranks, as was proper in a democratic' country-like Australia and in a democratic army. (Hear, hear.)