PAY OF SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2778, 24 May 1916, Page 6

PAY OF SOLDIERS

I ALLEGED LONG DELAYS THOSE LOST PAY-BOOKS. Questions relating to the alleged long delays in the' payment of arrears of pay ol' soldiers killed at the front and to the payment of separation allowances were asKed in tlie House yesterday. Mr. Craigie asked the Minister of Defence whether he was aware that the pay branch of the Expeditionary Forces was holding up tho arrears of pay of large numbers of deceased soldiers (some of whom were killed as far back as August last) until their pay-books came to hand, and that such action was seriously inconveniencing a large' number of dependants of such soldiers. Seeing that in many cases the soldier was blown to pieces or buried, or drowned with his pay-book on hiin, what time, ho asked, must elapse before the Department was satisfied that the pay-book would not turn up? He asked whether the Depaitment would endeavour to bring this matter to a finality. . Tho Minister of Dofeuce said that the Department was doing all that it possibly could to expedito the pay of deceases soldiers. Great delay necessarily occurred through the difficulty of recovering deceased soldiers' pay-books, as there were no means of knowing how much was duo until these books came to hand. The Department was doing its best to settle fhe accounts as soon as possimilar to that asked by Mr Craigie was also asked by Mr. Witty. Ho said that in the case of one of tlie men killed at the landing in Gallipoli, settlement had not yet been: made, although the man's pay-book had reached Koiv Zealand as far back as September or October last. There were several other case; of men having been tod for twelve months without any settlement being arrived at. Mr. Allen: I know of no such case., I will be glad if the honourable gentleman will let nie have particulars of such oases, and I will to glad to inqtnw into them. Tho Minister poiutsd out tliftt after a soldier's death to dependants were continued for twentysix weeks, in order to cover the period inte'rvening before the granting of a pension. He did not know of any «ases standing over for twelve months, but if he were furnished with P ar c h ,°, ula i such cases, either in or out of the House, he would have immediate inquiry made. Mr. Witty acknowledged that in all case's ih whicli lie had approached the Minister or -the officials of the Defence Department he had received every eourMr. Allen repeated that he knew of very few cases standing over, and ne knew of no long delays. ...... Mr. T. W. Rhodes asked the Minister df .Defence whether he would endeavour to expedite the payment ot separation allowances to the wives of soldiers in Ca Mr.' Allen replied that the question of payment of separation allowances in repafd to men in camp bad been before the Cabinet, but there were difficulties in Connection with the matter. Every facility was given to tlie men themselves through the post offices _ or. by other means to send to their wives and other dependants portions of their pay and separation allowances.; In cases in which hardship was being caused by the men not paying to their wives what they should pay, the Department was taking action. If members knew of any .such cases, and particulars were given, action would be taken to compel the men either to pay a proper amount or to leave the forces altogether. 'Mr. Rhodes said that ho knew of or" case in which the wife and children of a soldier wore on very short commons. Mr. Allen asked for particulars of this case. tfr. Rhodes: Yes; I will let you have them. .