LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 5, 1 October 1919, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RETROSPECTIVE ALLOWANCES Sir.—With regard to tho above allowances, imrely they should be paid to all soldiers' wives and dependants from the day the soldier entered camp as a roller of the Expeditionary- Force. this means those men wiio were-n tunato enough, not to go overseas wmuil not be penalised!' As things now stand tho soldier who was a member of t:ii« Expeditionary Force, but wllio' did notsail (through no fault of his own), i» apparently not considered to have made any sacrifice at all, :us ho gets nothing under returned soldiers' benefits, gratuities. or retrospective allowances. The following ense I can vouch for, and will leave it to you whether this man is entitled to retrospective allowance or IlOt!— "C" disposed of his farm at -lniicti below its value in order to enlist. He sold out in April, 1917, and enlisted the day after the sale, but could not get into camp until June because of full drafts. Entered'camp ivitii the Thirtieth -.Reinforcements ,as a private,/and after training with them was selected to enter the 1i.c.0. camp at Trentham. WitVJiis compixny- until November, when ho was to undergo special training to fit him for an instructor in physical training-, etc. This selection was a compliment to his abilities, as only ten out of eighty were taken. However, he only accepted this offer on account of bis wife's ill-health. Served as an instructor until February, 1918, w'hen he was injured during training; three month's' hospital treatment. Posted to n company in June, and this company was on the point of saiitns when armistice was signed. Now, this man succeeded in working his way up solely on merit. His wife was seriously ill for over twelve months, and is still beins attended by a doctor. This mail was keen to get way, beins tjie only member of his family not fiatlitiiig, but he was prevented chiefly on account of his wife's ill-health. He was a volunteer. As proving that lie sold liN farm below its value, it has been resold twice since —first time at ,£6 10s. per acre increase *nd second at .£•!■ per acre, makii'ir (lie total nearly double what lie sold at. Till is man gets no benefit from returned soldiers Acts, gratuities, or retrospective allowance., ami although he should perhaps _ not benefit by the first_ two, I submit that he is certainly , entitled to tho last. His sacrifices have been large, and I fancy are greater than a large majority of returned men who liavo come back unharmed. Had this man been attached to just one reinforcement earlier lie would have received all the benefits. Surely ho should got one.—l nm, etc., . FAIR PLAY.