WAR BONUSES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3140, 19 July 1917, Page 6

WAR BONUSES

WILL .PARLIAMENT TAKE HEED?

Sir,—While the above aro being scattered broadcast over this fair land of ours, and the subjeot of pensions iB so much in vogue, would it not' be advisable to re-survey some of those pittances granted prior to the outbreak of v.ar. Tnose earned, in not a few instances, by over a quarter of a century's faithful work, though wholly inadequate to keep bddy and soul together since the general rise of commodities P I refer especially to that (comparatively) large class nf persons, all too ready to remain silent rother than raise a voice in their own defence— that body of State school teachers, who, wfth such a service to their credit, was "passed out" as broken-down and incapable of further work, on the munificent sum of £1 per week! Could even a minority of these people—men or womenlive "on that amount now? You, Sir, kuow it is impossible. Worse still, it may often bo that not one alone, but two, and occasionally. more, have to • eke out an existence on that pitiful allowance. It seems to me that ere their fel-low-teachers, frequently in receipt of already very fair incomes, clamour for increased salary (call it war bonus, or what you will; though in new pf the circumstances I mention, "blood-money" is the more appropriate term), it might be well for them to readjust their perspective, and while so engaged to keep very clearly in view tho position of numbers of their predecessors—how past middleage—man and wife, maybe—endeavouring to subsist on £H2 per year! Not once has the remotest reference to or complaint by those retired servants been seen in the Press. God knows they had been justified in speaking, nevertheless; ye't, preferably, striving to "do their bit," they have remained dumb. No politician, apparently, considers it his duty to take up their cause. Ignorance of the injustice no member of Parliament can plead. Was it not through his instrumontftlity the wretched dole for such a' task reached the Statute Book? It remains to be seen who of their number has sufficient courage to redress a wrong, and to propose and carry through a much-needed remedy.—l am, etc., 'CKE OP THE MORE FORTUNATE.