ON THE TRANSPORTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 230, 23 June 1919, Page 4

ON THE TRANSPORTS

SETTLING SOLDIEKS' ACCOUNTS. During this year tho Defence Department brought into operation n system of paying returning soldiers on the transport eo as to eiinblo them generally to leave for their homes with almost the whole of the money due to them up till the date of their discharge This is onother chain in the series of arrangement designed to complete the demobilisation process with the arrival of the transixirt in New Zealand. On oach transport leaving England aro placed the active service pay cards of the men embarked. A pay staff, comprising one pay clerk for every three hundred men, travels on the vessel, and the pay books are collected at embarkation so as to bs brought up to date during the voyage. Every account is made up to a date ■Iβ days Inter than Win date of leaving England. Uiis being the approximate duration of the voyage. At least one pay is made in Ciish during the trip, generally just before arriving at the first port of call: and just prior to disembarkation Hie balance of Active service pay due to the soldier, plus an advance of <ElO in the case of officers and mrrses, or .£5 to other ranks, together with the pay books, is handed over. Thus tho troops.land fully paid up to a date 40 days later than their departure from England, and with an" advance which is covered by the period of their leave on full pay, leaving them ae a rule with a small credit to collect from tho Pay Branch of the Department at their discharge. Unless there is a heavy run 6f disembarkations, the Pay Ofh'co is able to make up the soldier's account complete to tho date of discharge about ten day 9 after arrival, tho credit balance being remitted to him by warrant to the address given by the soldier before disembarkation. There are some cases of delay where, owing to the records from abroad coming to hand in an incomplete elate, various in;iuiries have to be made, but in the main the Defenco Department has evolved a system of rapidly clearing up its pay obligations to tho returning 6oldier.