LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 278, 20 August 1919, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES

Sir,—ln your issue of August 14 appear* 11 statement by the Minister of Defence ro war gratuities. I was surprised to read that tho "idea of a war gratuity was a ue\v one." la it not a fact that tho 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 art) ant to imagine we will all soon be capitalists. The great majority of iit soldiers. however, are being quietly demobilised. drawing their ,£5 ss. to pity for an £S or XlO suit, and carrying ou with /some occupation, without so far receiving another, jjenuy, some of them, like myself, after four and a half years' sorvice lit the front. When t'hs first announcement was mado (a week's pay for 18 weeks' service of single men) tore were few, if any, fit ("A" class) returned soldiers in New Zealand, and if tho proposal was "received with satisfaction"' (by soldiers, most of whom were receiving pensions), as the Minister states, whv was it so suddenly withdrawn? The fact is. the idea of a gratuity vis discussed bv us months before we left England. and was mentioned in a pamphlet issued' by General Kichardson to every ' soldier. AYe confidently expected that ours would at least compare favourably , with thoso. paid by other dominions. I can assure the Minister of Defence that we. the first draft of fit men to return , to New Zealand (ex H.M.T. Hororata), did not hear of the proposed scale with anv satisfaction whatever, but were disgusted to find that oui- New Zealand nrivate would onlv receive. roughly, i'.ie same as the shilling-a-day Tommy, and a fraction of what Canada, for instance, , was paying.—l am, etc., MAIN BODY. August IG, 1919.