OVER ONE MILLION PAID

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 44, 15 November 1919, Page 3

OVER ONE MILLION PAID

■ IN WAR GRATUITIES. Two thousand war gratuities were paid into the General Post Office yesterday, bringing tho total sum expended to just over one million pounds. The claims aro being setf.ed with, the utmost expedition consistent with accuracy. At 0110 time the claims were being received at tho rate of ten thousand a day, but now they -aro dn'mdling down to mero hunk.'eds.- As each application is received it is stamped and dated, and then 1111 - Ibered /n. .order-ofreceipt, and the sev--1 \t thousandth mark had been rK\ched' i yester(lay. |As soon as the dating and numbering are completed an acknowledgment is prepared nnd sent to tho claimant. Files are then sought; and the amount of'gratuity the individual is entitled to is calculated from the, files. Pollowing this, the'statement is checked by, audit,- and. if .foijnd correct is forwarded fo- payment. The top portion of tho ■■grfttuity form: is then detached, and is dispatched to the post office, together with the pav warrants, and a complete statement showing -the. amounts to be paid. At the same time a flirther notice is,forwarded to the claimant intimating the amount he. is entitled,to.

. While this-may., appear plain sailing, tliei'sTare hundreds of points to be considered in reckoning the' amount of gra T tuity to be paid. For instance, the man who went away to-Samoa,, returned, and went. to. Gallipoli.;was wounded -and returned, to New Zealand, and left again for France, ;and eventually arrived back home again, w;ill not get his. gratuity as quickly as a man whose service' was continuous. The actual number of days' service has' to 110 reckoned up in order, to decide whether it is .0 .case for.', the . minimum, gratuity or more: In- addition to this- po : there is the' matter of reckonin" the tim' % a man spent in hospital in New Zealand, which , un to' a certain period may-be •niloulnted and included in the gratuity, dependent, however,-npon the length of actual serv'ce overseas.All energy ,is lvin? directeil towards naving the gratuities .Mar? Christmas, but it/hee not appear at all likely that this wi r l eventunte- Hnwevr. it-pbmild l>r> nnd»rsto"d thiit eve^?, effort is-.b rt ing made tn satisfy the cm*ms as os 'possible'k •