WAR GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 14, 11 October 1919, Page 7

WAR GRATUITIES

, — ,r ; :5 ."'SOitE POINTS EXPLAINED. : 'Soveral 1 Qi'iestions'bearing on the payment of gratuities were asked of the Defence Minister by Mr. C. A. Wilkin-\ ■son in the-House of representatives yes-V tcrdav afternoon. ■' ... J v -'f Mr. -Wilkinson's' inquirid-Sv wero as follow-.—• ' ( • Is it proposed to introduce, legislation giving elt'est to the application of the gratuity schome to New Zealauders who enlisted in the liuporial Army, also, to naval reservists who returned .to England to -rcioiii' : the Navy,- and-New Zealand nurses? Is.the will. of.a deceased.soldier to be ignored,'and'a're payments' to'go absolutely lis directed-by-section.-7,^- subsection .3. ..of. tho Expeditionary 'Forces- : Amendment Act, 1918? Does tho-Government intend 10 set up a tribunal to decide cascs.,;\vhere it is inadvisable that payment,. .should be ' 1 made to next-of-kin, or does'the Minister.: intend to personally , decide such , cases?-- ■ - 1 i Will provision, be.made for payments ' to those who have adopted children from infancy (although not legally) in cases where''such- children,' '-after attaining manhood, lose their lives whilo serving in tlie Expeditionary Forces? Sir James. Allen said that there would be ■no need to introduce legislation ■to .- .iuake-the .gratuity. scheme-applicable to New Zealanders serving with tho Irn- • perial Army. He had already notified that as the New Zealand gratuity was larger than, the British payment, the New Zealand Government would pay to all such soldiers .the difference .between this British scale and the New 'Zealand scale. Tliis applied to naval reservists who left this country to rejoin the Navy during the wnr. Nurses of thb New Zealand Army Nursing Service received the i gi , atuitv' in the 'same-way as soldiers of the Expeditioniirj? Force, and New .Zealand' nurses who -.enlisted with ilie British Nursing Service would be treated, in • the .same .way as New Zealand soldiere serving with tho British Army. I With regard to the second question, until the clause in tlie Act was--altered,' payments would hayo ,to l» made m accordance with it—to thd widow tlie children, the father, or fiio mother. ' He thought it would be advisable,to alter' this clause this session if there was time to do so.-. As to die suggestion for tho setting up of a 'tribunal' 'to., decide whether pay-ments-should'be mado to-particular persons in certain cases, did not think that this, would l)o necessary.. Inquiries would be made by tho Departmental officers, and special case# would be rofer- ■ red to the Minister. If it should, bo found in experience' that:sufficient evidence could not be obtained by this proceduie. a tribunal could then be set up. lie could i)ot ,ut present. ,give- a definite answer to the fourth question..' The answer would depend on • whether tho .alteration to. which, he had referred would be made in the law. Mi-, lluddo. lisjccd,' whether the gratu-. itv would be paid to V.A.D. nurses who • had served in England. " Sir ' .lalmw' Allen said that no nurse would receive a gratuity unless sho were - a,,member-, of-, .the New > Zealand; Expedi- . tionnry - force.- -.-If .this- wero "not the rule -then nil the V:A,D. workers in New Zealand would have I tlie -right .Ho claim tlie gratuity.- • . • ; . . -

Tlio special 'general meeting- of the Lyall Day Municipal..Electors. A«ociation, to be held 'on Octobcr IG, at 8 ));.n»., at the; Fbl-gct-iiie-Not; Hall, Lyall Bay,, should-,prove fstreinely»in(erastin(r. A large number of: important ■ matters wilt be dealt with, the order paper boiup a lengthy one. Mr;. Leigh Hunt (Greater Wellington To\rti-plmining Association) *hiis']>een invited to'.spoak, arid tlio pon■eral sepivtaryjof the lattor body,' also tlio president and secretary of kindred associations aw invited to .attend. Two delegates from the Lyall Hay and Jlaranui Surf -Clubs hnvo been invited to he .present; ■ Air. :]!. A. ,Wright, lif.P. for Wellington Suburbs, has rccoivod an -.invitation also. Oilier import.-vpbaJKidies are being invited lo send dolngi lwlW[tho . : Lj*a.ll Bay Jmfeting:'' Tlio Maranui.rSchool Commitlcs-will aiteii'd-and'slatqdlfb case for; ■ "mo.re' 'accommodation ,-foi v -. fchool children;"' -.The Lvall .Bay .Association is absolutely noti-political n« a.body: [Hill -details- -appear; in ; our - advertising umns.