SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 140, 8 March 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES

RETURNED MEN ARE IMPATIENT. During last session, nearly four months ago, Parliament Agreed to the appropriation of a sum of X 1,255,000 for tlie payment of allowances and gratuities to discharged soldiers. Tho payments were to include a special grant in lieu of retrospective separation allowances for the wives of men who served in tho early yearß of the war, and a service gratuity calculated on the length of service. This money has not yet been mado available for payment, and returned men, who could use the money in restarting themselves in civilian life, are said to bo growing impatient. Tho Minister, of Defence, speaking at Dunedin on Thursday, indicated that the bases of the payments were still under consideration. He is reported to have -stated that the separation allowance of 3s. a day for a wife was to bo made retrospective in full, thus amending the proposal made to Parliament. He mentioned that the scliomo for tho payment of gratuities had not yet been clearly defined, and added that "ho was seeing that the matter was not neglected, and he advised soldiers to exercise patience." Several of the returned discharged.men told a Dominion reporter yesterday that they thought tho Minister ought to hurry matters along. "The money would be more useful to me now than it can possibly be later," said one man. "In fact, I am almost compelled to try for a Government loan under present conditions, whereas if I could get the allowance and gratuity that I have been led to expect I would not havo to borrow. Surely the Minister or the Dofouce Department could have decided by this time how the money is going to be allocated. When the announcement was made last November, with a great flourish of trnmpols, that over a million of money would be paid to the soldiers, we thought that our share would reach ns in a month or two at the outside. But more than three montliSi havo passed, and we are told now to exercise paticnce while •the authorities reconsider bases of payment." . , ~ The Defence Department is not able to tell inquirers when tho gratuities.will be paid. Discharged men who -have written to the Department for information have learned merely that tho matter is under consideration. Tho difficulties, as a fact, are much greater than might be imagined, owing to the necessity for avoiding inequalities and errors of payment, and the very large amount of clerical work involved. But the returned men point out that if they, are to wait until the Defence Department evolves a scheme that will fit every possiblo case there may be'no monkey paid out for a year or two.