CONCESSIONS FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 192, 9 May 1919, Page 9

CONCESSIONS FOR SOLDIERS

RETROSPECTIVE ALLOWANCES

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE- TO RETURNED MEN.

The retrospective payment of separation allowance is mentioned in the newly issued "Soldier's Guide." The Government has decided to pay tho full, rato of 3s. per day as from date of embarkation for all married men from tho beginning of the war. Payment will bo made in the first week in Juno by special warrant sent direct to the payees. In the ease of soldiers deceased prior to December 31, 11)17, payment will be made-up to tho date of decease or to tho date separation allowance wns pnid, if later.

It will not be necessary for application to bo made in respect of married soldiers undischarged on April 30, 1919. but in the case of married soldiers deceased or discharged ■ prior to that date applications will bo required, before payments aro issued. Theso applications should be sent by letter to the Officer in Chaiyo War Expenses, Wellington, and slicuSl contain tho following particulars:—' ' Regimental number,' rank, and full name of soldier. Reinforcement to which attached. Dato of discharge or decease. .Full inimo and address of applicant. ; Financial Assistance. _, As a general rule, financial assistance is only payable to a, soldier, but as experience has shown that many men belonging to, the Main Body and eartier dratts of reinforcements were not aware, until their roturn to tho Dominion, that grants could bo received to meet the specified obligations set out later, it lias been decided by the Government to accept retrospective applications from "men, whether before or after discharge,-who were serving abroad when the regulations .for the grunting of financial assistance wore gazetted, on January IC, 1917, and who on their return find thomselvee faced with accumulated liabilities which they cannot meet out of their military pay and other sources of income; As applications cannot bo received indefinitely, tho returned soldier must apply for useistanco required within three months of his arrival in Now Zealand. It should be noted that whatever assistance is granted can only be in 'respect of liabilities incurred since the inception of Iho financial assistance scheme on January, Iβ, 1917. Instalment Mortgages, It waa the policy of the Financial Assistance Board to pay interest only on all mortgages, tho board arranging 'with tlio mortgagors for postponement of principal payments in cases where tho money was loaned under tile system of table mortgages.. As post soldiers on their return, to civil life are not able to pay these accumulated instalments, the Gov.ernment has decided to introduce legislation during the next ensuing session to afford tho necessary relief.

Speaking in reference to.the alx>ve an■nouiicement, Mr. I). Seymour, general secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association, pointed oiit that it merely referred to the regulations under which tlio ' deg|reo of retrospection authorised by the Minister would take effect. Tho association wished to make it quite clcnr tharthe Minister still denied iiis responeibility in the mutter of such allowances to the children; A further point in the above regulations was characteristic of the Administration. This was the fact that which'normally allowances are 'payable as from tho date of entering oamp retrospective allowances are to be payable only from the date, of embarkation. This, pottifogging effort to minimise tho amount rightly duo to the wives was of a type unhappily only too common, and ono which was likely to try to the breaking point the patience of even the. strongest supporters of tho 'Administration.