SOLDIERS LIABILITIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2937, 24 November 1916, Page 4

SOLDIERS LIABILITIES

GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING THU MATTEL. The Patriotic Societies' Advisory, Board wrote to the Minister of Defence recently urging upon him :lic necessity, that the Government 6hould by moratorium or otherwise relieve from their liabilities soldiers called up for active) service uudor the Military Service Act., The secretary of the board (Mr. R. VV, Shallcrass) has received the' following letter iu reply from the Defence Minister:— "As I explained to the board when I had the privilege of meeting it r>a the 16th instant, the scheme adopted by tho British Government for granting reließ to men called up for 6ervice has already been engaging the serious attention of myself and colleagues, and a valuable re-' port on the subject was recently r&J tMved from the SoiicitorGencr.il. The circumstances existing in the Old try ond New Zealand are not, however; analogous. In order to ensuro that'the Government will be in possession of all possible information as to the directions' in which hardships are likely to arise in New Zealand through the bringing; into operation of the Military Service! Act, I recently arranged with 7ny colleague, the Hon. Minister in charge of! Munitions and Supplies, for the various' Military Service Boards throughout the: Dominion to keep a register of the cases' dealt with and to classify tiieni and dicate in what directions they find spe-, cial hardships accrue. Before a-yclivnjfi could be done in the direction advocate* by your board, legislative action way be'; necessary, and my object in securing thai above information is to enablo the Govj ernment to formulate such proposals as! may seem necessary."