SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES

Sir,—ln your issue of August li appears ii statement by the Minister of Defence ro war gratuities. I was surprised to road that the "idea of a war gratuity was a new one." vls it not a fact that the idea is centuries old, though, perhaps, known under " other names at different periods? The public are reading so much nowadays about soldiers' allowances, increased pay, pensions, etc., that they are ant to imagine wo will all 6oon bo capitalists. The great majority of fit soldiers. however, are being quietly demobilised. drawing their JiO os. to pny for an .£8 or JCIO suit, and carrying oil with some occupation, without so far receiving another penny, some of them, like myself, after four and a half years' service at the front. When the first announcement was made (a -week's pay for 18 weeks' service of single men) tr.eio' were few, if any, iit ("A" class) returned soldiers in New Zealand, and if the proposal was "received with satisfaction" (bv soldiers, most of whom wore receiving pensions)/ as the Minister states, why was it so suddenly withdrawn ? The fact is. the idea of a gratuity i»« discussed bv us months before wo left England. and was mentioned in a pamphlet issued by General Ilichardsou to every' soldier. We confidently expected tliatf ours would at least compare favourably with those will by other dominions. I* can assure the Minister of Defence that we. the first draft of fit men to return to New Zealand (ex 11. M.T. Hororate), did not hear of the proposed scale with anv satisfaction whatever, but were distrusted to find tluit our New Zealand nrivato would onlv receive, roughly, i!ie same as the shilling-a-day Tommy, ami a fraction of what Canada, for instance, was paying—l am, etc., x MAIN BODY. August 16, 1910.