SOLDIERS' CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2804, 23 June 1916, Page 6

SOLDIERS' CHILDREN

THE ALLOWANCES

SOME'INTERESTING LETTERS

t ■ On. the subject of allowances for the k children of married men wbicli came up k for consideration nt the meeting of the r : Board of. the New Zealand i..-, .Patriotic War Belief- Associations, the | chairman (Hon. J. T. Paul) reported ;'.-.' haying;sent the following 'letter to the •'* Prime Minister and the Minister of Db- |;-. Tence:— . [ "At the last'meeting of the Advisory 'I; Board consideration was given to the tj ''matter of .allowances to be paid to'the i children of soldiers. I nm instfneted to '■ '■ urge upon you the necessity of paying ; • this allowance irrespective of the num- [■'".• ber of the:' f amily. :In the opinion of i the board it is tis "necessary to pay the '.' allowance, for InTge families as it is V_ ' where the family • consists of a smaller '* '..number. The board is also strongly of |. ■.' opjnion. that the 'allowance should b« {"■'-,. paid in the case of illegitimate children. {.■. " At this time more than at any other in !■'/' our history the value of a r child is uni- ;. ■'-. Tersally recognised, and the board trusts i v: that the Government will see its way to i ,' ■ not on the -representations of ■ the board '. '■•■ -In this mattor." . ,'J'ho Prime Minister replied ;— ■V "I have Tcceived your letter of the \ : '•■:' Ilth instant with reference to the sepn:'s-- , ration allowances to the children of -'.:' men who enlist is., the.. Expeditionary '; Force. The board is unable to recom- /.-";■ - mend an inciease in the number of chil--1..-'.'. dreii beyond the present limit of five. ;■•''.- <with respect to. whom the allowance of I'-.. ; Ss. 6d. per week will be paid, becanso it e ■ . -does not wish to .encourage the enlistt ' went of nien who have more than five I; - children-under sixteen years of age. The i .board is of opinion .that no man with } ■ 'family responsibilities of. this kind' f'. ahould enlist unless he is in a position to make-adequate financial provision for I". - ' the maintenance of.his dependants. It f,:.. « true that in the pnst men with heavy f■-.;-.. family responsibilities have enlisted, but ! ... it has, always been open to the wife to j : -i-object to her'hnsband's enlistment, and ij. 'where objection has been made and in- |'.-' ' vestigation has shown,, that: in the inters' .-' ests of his family a man should not re- |- -mam in the Forcea,' the Commandant [:-' , 'has authorised his : discharge. I will i . bring your recommendation that the al< lowonoo shonld be paid with respect to ■'-'■..-,' lllesritimate children before .the board j-',s. at its next meeting for consideration." {':,. -.'. A later letter from Mr. Massey read as j.. _ . follows:—. ; : "With further reference to your-letter i,;-'-. :of May 11 and to the payment of the i separation allowance of 3s. 6d. per week | with respect to the illegitimate children ;' : of; men who enlist in the Expeditbuary J Force, I have now to advise that Od> inet lias agreed to pay the separation ol- ;': •■' lowanoe to children." > ' -.'":. The Hon. J. Allen, in reply,.wrote:—' ■;; ':"The amount that a private may draw ;:-.-'■ -In. New-Zealand, it he is married and j , ~-. has children, may amount to Bs. Sd. for- : r seven days in the week. .This is higher amount than: any .private mHi r; - -wife' and children in Australia can £'■-'. draw.-I. cannot think it wise to offer ;■.-; . Inducement to men" with large families j tinder-sixteen years of age, to enlist foi ' ■'• '^ i wat '■ Indeed, in my opinion, a man ;'.... wRh. so many children has a duty to !;•■.'- stay in New Zealand arid kok after his wife and family. , There are, however, some men with large families .who deem 'it to be their duty-to volunteer, and pro-vision-has been been for, siich cases to the extent that the wife receives a sepa- •'.* allowance of Is. a day arid each child (not exceeding five) 6d. per day. i•,;.■ In my opinion it is not wise togo beyond -;; • this. I.am fully persuaded that.it is not | in the interests of the State to send men [■-.".. to the front who have'such large respon--1..- , sibilities. • I have noted- the board's ! opinion that the allowance should be ) ■•.■■ : Paid In flie case of illegitimate children- .•■■-. ... and have pleasure in informing von that i -{"is has now been agreed to W Cab- ["■ . . wet. . , ■ ' ,""■-..■■■ ' ' '■■'■• \ ' After some discussion it was decided.' ,on the.moHon of Mr. Elliott, seconded. By ;Mr. Lamer,: if the <?ovornment accepts a man with more than five — children it should take the '.responsibility, : l tnfl pay the allowance for them."