MARRIED MEN AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2708, 1 March 1916, Page 6

MARRIED MEN AT THE FRONT

MORE LIBERAL ALLOWANCES FOR FAMILIES

CABINET'S DECISION

Cabinet agreed yesterday to pay increased separation allowances to the families of married men serving willi the Expeditionary Forces. At present the rate is Is. per day to the wives of all non-commissioned officers. The rate in respect of the wife still remains at Is. per day, but if there are children an additional allowance of (id. per day will be receivable in respect of every child under 16 years of age. "1 have realised all through," said the Hon. James Allen (Defence Minister) yesterday, "that something should be done for married men with children, but we have held off because we did not want to offer special inducements to married men to go until the time came. 1 don't say that the time has come now for the married men with children to be called upon, but it is time that any who desire to offer their services should know how they stand. "Cabinet has agreed that, in addition to the Is. a day allowance for a wife, there shall also be 6d. a day allowed for every child under 16 years of age; but Cabinet has also fixed that the maximum payable tho soldier and his wife under this proposal- shall be Bs. per day—the same maximum that is payable in Australia. It will mean that a married private will get 55., his wife Is. separation allowance, and for each of his children undor 16 years of age his wife would bo paid 6d. a day up to the number of four children." The Minister wanted to make it plain that this was not being done now specially to induce married men to enlist, but to put them in a position to enable them to offer their services if they earnestly felt it was their duty to go. "Wo don't want to eiicouragc tho men with more than four children under 16 years of age to go," he said, "al-t-hough, of course, they 'are at liberty to do so if they think fit." The new allowance is to be wholly retrospective, but the Minister expressed the' hope that those to whom it was due would recognise that it would take a little time to have the made up. The increased allowance would be paid in respect of tho children of every non-comniisisoned man in tiie forces, and would be paid as from the date of his enlistment. It was pointed out to Mr. Allen that a sergeant receiving 7s. per day, while he would under the old arrangement be entitled to Is., per day for his wife, would not benefit under the new conces. sion, seeing that the maximum was fixed at 86. per day. Mr. Allen said that this was a point that would yet have to bo adjusted. The limit of Bs. per day was intended to apply only to privato soliders; for n.e.o.'s different maximum rates would have to bo fixed for the difforent ranks.