SOLDIERS AND THEIR DEFENDANTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3005, 16 February 1917, Page 6

SOLDIERS AND THEIR DEFENDANTS

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS. (To the Editor.) / gi r —While reading a Sydney paper a short time since, I came across an article on soldiers' pay. It was a comparison between the pay of Now Zealand soldiers and those of Australia. It stated that the New Zealand soldier was better paid than any other in the world, and gave the following table as an example:— Payment of New Zealand Soldiers, s. d. With wife only .' 42 0 With wife and one child 47 3 With wife and two children ... 52 G With wife and three children ... 57. 9 With wife and four children 63 0 With wife and five children 68 3 Also, if this was found to be insufficient, an application could be made to the Appeal Board, and if the case warranted, the following pay could he obtained: — s. d. With wife-only 82 0 With wifo and one child S7 3 With wife and two children ... 92 6 With wife and three children ... 97 6 With wifo and four children ... 103 0 AVith wife and five children ...... 10S 3 Can you tell me if these tables are correct, and if not would you assist the dependants of soldiers by publishing the amount of pay received by New Zealand soldiers? —I am, etc., A PARENT. February 14, 1917. [The New Zealand soldier (a private) is paid ss. a day; his wife receives a separation, allowance of 7s. a week, with ss. a week for each child under the age of 16 years. If the soldier allots his wife 4s. a day from his pay, as ho is well able to do, she will rcceivo 355. per lyeek, plus the payment for children. In addition tho Defence Department may mako additional payments not exceeding £2 per week in the caso of any one soldier to cover civil liabilities, such as insurance premiums, rent, interest of mortgages, etc. The figures quoted by tho correspondent show tho maximum payments possible under the scale.]

Sir,—l am anything hut fond of writing, but there are at least two matters of importance at the present time that I feel so strongly about that it is impossible for me to remain silent concerning tliem. One is the almost insane shuffling of our Government re the exploitation of State and people by a privileged few, such as shipowners, middlemen, food-producers, etc., etc., on the ono hand, and tho to mo incomprehensible attitude of largo numbers of citizens to their own future freedom, and that of their children (to say nothing of the sacrifices made by our boys under arms), as instanced by the present disgusting muddle on the waterfronts. It seems to me that nothing would be more unfair or disastrous at the present time than for tho Government to take sides, hut if they were to take over full control of labour and freight on the waterfronts at least, call a meeting quickly of representatives of tho men, and arrange first-hand conditions, hours, and pay with them, the present deadlock could be easily overcome, and future trouble averted. But for goodness sake don't leave it to the hotheads and stubborn wills of the present parties in the strife to settle. The other matter which I would like abler pens and more influential voices to take up is the inadequate allowances to the- dependants of those men sacrificing their present, and perhaps future, interests in life at the call of duty. ' The proposal put forward _ in niany quarters to increase our soldiers' pay is not, in my opinion, as important as that of increased allowances to their dependants. Can any reasonable man or woman conversant 5 with the present cost of living, let alone what we cau see pretty plainly of the future, maintain that the present allowances are reasonable and just? One pound a week for a wife to keep her own fire going on, ss. a week equally for a child of one year or under, or a healthy, growing boy or girl of twelve or fourteen. And then the mothers who are giving their best and bravest in their declining years, too, tearing out their heart-strings for the future freedom of our New Zealand nation.- Can't we do a little better_ for them? AVake up, Press and public, and if you do allow a little red tape to disappoint and annoy our defenders in various ways, at least do the honest thing by their nearest and dearest. Perhaps many people yet don't realise" the hardness of some of the partings month after month. "Well, just try and forget your own important selves and businesses for five minutes occasionally, and think. Thanking you in anticipation for space.—l am, etc., WILLIAM HENRY TRUDGEON. February 10. [In respect of tho waterside trouble the Government has already taken the power to act in the manner suggested by our correspondent. The position of soldiers and their dependants is fully explained in the answer to the .correspondent given above.]