PAYMENT LOST

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21245, 16 October 1940, Page 8

PAYMENT LOST

ARMY EXAMINATIONS CASE OF CIVIL SERVANTS BALLOTED MEN BENEFIT Adverse criticism of the Government’s method of paying expenses to balloted men on medical examination includes a complaint by civil servants. While men in the ballot receive 7s, the equivalent of one day’s Army pay, civil servants on a weekly salary are not entitled to receive any monetary payment. The only civil servants permitted to benefit are those engaged at an hourly rate of pay, resulting in loss of wages for attending a medical board. In many such cases 7s does not refund the out-of-pocket expenses. Men who volunteered just before the introduction of the ballot system, but who had not been examined before October 7, are also benefiting to the extent of 7s for each attendance in connection with medical examinations. Volunteers in the Expeditionary Force, the Territorial Army and the Air Force complain that even when they lost wages they received no payment for attending medical examinations.

In the case of Royal New Zealand Air Force recruits, many Waikato candidates were obliged to travel to Auckland for examination and in some instances were absent from their employment for two days. Even when wages were cut on this account they received no payment from the authorities other than a warrant for free travelling to and from the place of examination and boarding. Meal Allowance Each balloted reservist receives a travelling warrant if he has to travel to the place of examination and in some cases an allowance of 2s, in addition to the 7s, is made for a meal. Volunteers did not receive a meal allowance, although they were granted travelling warrants if required. If a reservist is called for reexamination or for an X-ray examination on another day he will receive 7s for each day or part of a day, and free transportation and meal allowance if he comes from a neighbouring town. In the case of men graded as temporarily unfit the payment may be made several times. Before October 7 temporarily unfit recruits called for a further examination might have lost several days wages without recompense. It is apparent that in the majority of cases in which the 7s is being paid, the reservist has not lost \vages.

Members of the National Military Reserve who are being examined in Hamilton this week are receiving 7s, except that civil servants among their number who are not on an hourly wage do not benefit.