FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 8

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

AMENDING REGULATIONS ISSUJUD. Amending regulations relating to financial assistance for soldiers were gazetted yesterday. They provide mat military service boards, under direction or tho Minister of Deience, may investigate claims for financial assistance, and may make, recommendations, 'i'lie boards for this purpose will have (lie i powers of a commission appointed' under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. If (ha Minister o£ Defence Ims reason to bolievo, on application made to him by or on behalf of any recruit (voluntaiy or balloted), that the service ot such recruit in the New Zealand Expeditionary I'orce may be a cause of undue hardship to Jumself or to persons dependent on him, and that sucii hardship may be avoided. by the grant of financial assistance under theso regulation!!, the Minister may; refer tho matter to a military service board for and report. The board will cause notice of tho time and place of auy such inquiry to be given to the commandant and to such other persons (if auy) as the board may think entitled to be heard. It will not bo necessmy for a Military service board to hear and . determine judicially any matter referred to it by the Minister'of Defence under throe regulations,: but the board will in all such cases deal with any such references in the first place as a matter of, administrative discretion, and may report to the Minister tho opinion of tlia board accordingly. If on any such investigation the board is of opinion that a judicial inquiry is J necessary or advisable, the board will I thereupon proceed to hear and determine the nintter judicially in accordance with these' regulations, and will report to the Minister of Detente, whether in <he opinion of the board any such avoidable hardship as aforesaid exists, and will recommend the. grant to the recruit, in accordance with these regulations, of such financial assistance (if any) ns the board considers just and reasonable. The .Minister of Defence will thereupon take such report and vecoinmemlati'.j into consideration, and may, if lie thinks fit, approve, either wholly or as to any , par! inureof, of the recommendation so : made.