SECOND DIVISION AND FAMILY ALLOWANCES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 205, 18 May 1918, Page 8

SECOND DIVISION AND FAMILY ALLOWANCES

GETTING TO HIE HEART OF THINGS. Sir,—At the present time there seems to be a great deal of dissatisfaction omongst the married men who have recently been ealltd tip for service over the allowances made to their wives and families. Let us consider the matter a little. There is a saying that every Englishman's home is his castle—rjuite true— just so long as that castle stands. Now what is the bulwark that has so far protected that castle? I now refer to the home where the head of the family has remained at his ease and quite safe and content up to the present. What has enabled that man's castle to stimd unmolested? You all know the answer. The bulwark and buttress have been the bodies of those fine fellows who so readily answered the call to arms, And who have so faithfully upheld the noblest traditions of the British race. The call was first made in August, 1914, and was readily responded to by the whole of the British race in

England and all her Dominions. Of the heroic efforts that have been made by those fine fellows and their reinforcements ever since that time nothing need be said, for you haft? all lead of the great battles that have been fought and won, and of the many brave and glorious deeds that have been done and that are beyond all praising. ,■ The sacrifices that have been made aro many: in many cases the fathers of fam-

ilies have answered the call; in fact, I remember reading in nn English paper early in the war that the married men seemed to realise their responsibilities to a far greater extent than the single ones, as they were volunteering in a far greater proportion of numbers. I was told of a case on Gallipoli, on August 8, 1915:,Tw0 fine fellows, New Zealanders, one. a sergeant, and the other a newly-made 2nd lieutenant, lay dying. They both fell whilst leading their men. The lieutenant, who I knew very well, was it married man with two children, and whilst laying there, knowing that he- was near his end, he kept calling for cheers for the boys. Every lime an extra burst of artillery took place this fine fellow called out: "Three more cheers for the boys," and side by side tlies? two heroes cheered, even when their voices were so faint that they sounded little above a whisper, .rust think it ever. If I were <i wife and a mother I would sooner have a heart ache fov a lifetime and lost* my husband doing his duty nt such a time as this than see him hanging back—a fhirker, content to stay at home at ths expense of his fellowmen. And so would yon. I enlisted and left with the. Main Body. I left my wife with five of. a family. Being a sergeant I could not leave enough pay to support my family and pay rent which was ,£1 per week. My wife was fqual to the occasion. Sho leased a few acres of land t.rnl nlilked a few cows and supplied milk, the children doing their part too, and, so she wrote to me gleefully when sho was able to sell enough milk to pay (he rent, and I was a mighty nroud man,' And so they kept along until finally they earned enough to live on and were enabled to put my pay in the bank for a rainy day. During this time they 1 had received various offers from different sources of financial assistance, i.e., rent and insurance premiums, but my brave little wife preferred to pay her owi way and beyond receiving the allowance made to the wives and families- of soldiers, she never received one penny. Yet during my 42 months' absence she built np a banking account and took nut War Loan bonds to the tune of ,£4OO. Yes, I am proud of her, for she is a brick and a splendid wife for a soldier, and yet I n.-w realised what a prize she was until I started soldiering. It nas her success that, helped me along. I enlisted as a corporal and have tone on slowly un to a lieutenant, and T know and feel I >owe my success to my wife's yond business finalities and her brave, cheery tetters and example. Th»re were many married men with the Main Body. One sergeant I knew had a family of ten.' A brother of mine who went to Prance was killed at Passchendaele on October 4, 1917. He left a wife and four children. Yet be always. wrote cheerfully, and he died as he "wished to die—the most glorious death any man can die—fighting for the cause: Honour and Liberty. Ho considered his wife and family and the cause worth lho sacrifice, and it was a sacrifice for ho loved his wife and young family dearly. He hnd no doubts about how his wife and family would fare should lie fall by the way—lie felt like I always did, flint our dependants would be cared for should occasion demand, and his confidence was uot misplaced, for his family nru enabled to live comfortably, thanks to the liberal pension scheme existing in New Zealand, the most liberal in existence,- likewise the family allowances. No Main Body or early reinforcement mail ever dreamed of allowances on such a liboral scale as those at present in vogue in New Zealand, and again the most liberal in existence. - I

Thousands of husbands and fathers liiivi) gone already anil laid down their lives, well knowing what they were cluing; quite satisfied that it was their duty to go, and not a matter of ,£ s. d. Something ot minute. more value beyond price. The husband and father went no'that ho might retain his self-respect, and jib felt it his duty to protect tlioso . who were his, to nphold the traditions of the Britiii race, and that an Englishman's hoina may still remain his castle. God grant that these sacrifices liavo not been made in vain. It is hard, very, very hard, we all know; but remember it is your, duty, it will mako you feel that you are . doing your bit; you will soon get U6ed to it, aud your ivivcs ana families will be proud that you consider them and your castle j worth fighting for. Eemember that the New Zealand soldier is a proud mail today. Ho is mighty proud of New Zealand and the prominent position ahs holds to-<lay as the foremost of tho British Dominions, and the brightest spot on earth, well termed "God's Own Co'un. try." My advice is go and do your duty, and God be with you. You will bo amply repaid, for tho knowledge of duty well done is in itself a great recompense, and you will feel that you have justified your existence and can liold your head up, and take your place among men. v 1 Just think it over. Is it right and jfejt in the face of the liberal provision that lias been made for our dependants by the' country and th 6 great sacrifices that have already been made on our behalf that we should hesitate one moment or quibble over a merb matter of money when the call is made? lam sure you wih all agreo with me, and say no, a thousand times, no.—l am, etc., MAIN BODY MAN.