SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES AND GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 139, 7 March 1919, Page 4

SOLDIERS' ALLOWANCES AND GRATUITIES

! STATEMENT BY THE DEFENCE I MINISTER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, March G. Speaking to a reporter, the Minister of Defence referred to the allowances and gratuities to soldiers. He stated that the amount to be given in lieu of separation allowance to married men who lett before the Military Service Act came into operation had been described as .tl 10,000. Cabinet had now agreed to increase the amount to .6495,001), thus allowing the Minister to make the separation allowance of a wife of a soldier who volunteered 3s. per day. He had asked the Defence Department to advise him of the machinery necessary to put that into operation us soon as possible. He told Parliament lliat Cabinet had agreed on the sum of ,£1,255,000 for .gratuities. Ho was not yet in a portion to say anything definite regarding the distribution of this, and wanted a little more tine to be sure he was doing right. ' Difficulties arose when lie came to details, and he wanted the whole thins clearly defined before he made a statement. A proposal haa been made for a certain amount of pay tor a certain period of service. He might have to reconsider that. He was seeing that the matter wi-> not neglected, and he advised soldiers to exercise patience. Speaking of the resolution favouring the abolition of the Territorial system, the Minister said the local bodies suppovtiii" it were making a grave niistnkc, because they did not understand the situation. In ' the new system of defence he merely wished the system to bo sumciently organised militarily to bring into existence the Defence Force for use at ; any time it was required, and k> keep a sufficient staff for the training of men , for defensive purposes. It was desired : to make more efficient civilians, physic- ' ally, mentally, and morally, and to p<fepare them for defence if they were ve- ■ quired. He thought that men should - enter camp at 18 years for four months , training. Camps were beinit established ! in both islands. Men would go through i a course similar to that undergone by • the Exneditionairy Tcvce. with physical • drill. It was intended that, dental and : medical arrangements should be providi eil. A man would l>? improved in camp and fhown how tu hika his physical im- , provement into bis own hands and con-, 1 tinue it himself.