LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SOLDIERS GRATUITIES

Sir,—For somo time past there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction amongst the members 01 the with regard to tho proposed scale ot soldiers' gratuities. The Ni-w Zealand scale cojnpnres unfavourably with the Canadian and Australian proposals, '. ho general feeling amongst the men who have already returned and those who aro still to come, is that New Zealand can well afford to be at least as generous as her sister dominions. • A general meeting was held on board the Hororata to discuss the question, and as a result a petition'embodying the following resolution was forwarded to the Acting-Prime Minister:— 1. "That the gratuities to be granted to the New Zealand troops should he at least equal in amount to thoso ct other overseas troops." , The Acting-Prime Minister has given this petition the most careful aiid courteous, consideration, and has given his consent to the use of the following extract from one of his letters:— ' "I am at present having tho gratuities that are proposed to be granted in other countries worked out; also the pay, pensions, and other grants made io soldiers, and I hope to bo in a position to make a fair comparison as between' New Zealand and other places." This, of course, is not a promise that the gratuities will be increased, but it is an assurance that the whole' matter • will be reconsidered very carefully. The j tone of the Acting-Prime Minister's let- ! ters gives me every reason to be confiijent that the fair tiling will be done. I The men of tho Hororaii draft and all i other returned and returning men' inter- ! ested in this matter, can, in my opinion, : look forward with every confidence to the ; filial decision of the' Government.—l am, etc., ORMOND BURTON.