WAR GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 31, 1 November 1920, Page 6

WAR GRATUITIES

REMOVAL-OF ANOMALIES

THE POSITION REVIEWED

When tho New, Zealand Government decided, to pay its soldiers- a.war gratnitv the regulations provided that in the case of a deceased soldier tho gratuity could only be paid to ilho soldier's widow, children, father, or mother, or any person in receipt of a ponsion as a dopendant of j the soldier. • This regulation gave rice to a great number of anomalies, and in many cases hardships. Tho Returned Soldiers' Association woro soon alive to the situation, and a deputation waited on tho then Minister of Dofence (Sir James Allen) with a request that n committee be sot up to deal with the cases. Sir James Allen did not take kindly to the proposal for somo time, but after havin-r some specific cases presonted to him, ho eventually agreed, with the result, that he appointed Colonel J. j. Ksson, CM.Cr (head of the Treasury Department). Colonel J W. Hutchen, C.M.G. C.B.E. (Oilicer-in-Chnrgo, War Expenses), and a representative of the U.S.A. Mr. H. J. V. Aldrich, Secratary of tho Wellington R.SA., was appointed the association'* representative on the committee, which commonccd its eitlhgs on Juno 15. 192(1.

A statement, dealing with iha work of the committee was made to n Dominion' reporter on Saturday by Mr. Aldrich, who said that, n number of recommendations had been made to the Minister. During the present session a elanso had been added to the Military Service Amendment. Bill giving tho Minister power to pity tin gratuity to any relative of a deceased soldier, or to any person who, during tho infancy, or any period of the infancy of tho deceased, nad beon chnrgod wi!,h his maintenance, care, unrt control. These cases micht bo referred to the War Pensions Hoard for consideration and report to the Minister. "This clause has a vory far-reaching effect," said Mr. AH rich," and iloas nway with a very large number of anomalies. For instance, ia quite a number of cases it. was shown that a slsteT had been partially responsible for the upbringing of the soldier. On the death of the soldior. however, tho sister was unable to obtain a pension, as she could not prove dependency on Ihe brother and consequently, she wait unable i'o draw tho gratuity. This difliculty has now been overcome by the amended legislation. A further clause authorises the Minister to pay the grnfuitv to the personal estate of the person eligible, •where any such person has died after tho passing of the Act which authorised the paymont of gratuities."

Proud of the Result. Mr. Aldrich added that the nsitociation had reason to be very proud of the tcsulfc nchjevod This Bill made provision for the payment o"f the deceased soldiers' gratuities to the person whom It. wns reasonablo to suppose would have roceivod it had tho soldier been able to express his wish. Asked for his opinion as to tho implications being submitted to tlw War tensions Board, Mr. Aldrich said he would rather tho Anomalies Comraitteo had boen given tho power to deal with them, but as the War Ponsions Board was a legally constituted Iwdy and tho Anomalies Committee was not, this could not bo avoided. He trusted, however, that the beard would realise tho generosity in which the Act hud been worded With regard tb V.A.D.'s, th« coir.mittee.did not think it yqnitnWe that before gratuity could ba paid the person had to servo for a period of twelve months, and recommondod thai: they bo put on the snme footing as a soldier, i.e., gratuity paid for tho actual period served. What was considered another injustice was 1 what might ho termed the "residential clause" for V.A.D.'s, which stipulated that tho person must have been a bona fide resident of Now Zealand previous to the war. As tho English lady worked side by side with those from New Zealand, did exactly the same work, and Uw ktter were granted a gratluity, the committee recommended that the residential clause be deleted These matters concerning V.A.D.'s had been referred to the High Commissioner (Sir James Allen) for Ms report. > ; Two other mattbrs called for a good deal of attention by the committee, ami these were the men who were evacuated horn a theatre of war sick or wounded and returned to New Zealand and afterWards proceeded again on activo service, continued Mr. Aldrich. In tlhcse eases tho committee recommended a minimum gratuity of eighteen months for the first period and the actual service .overseas for the second period This 1 recommendation had boen approved by Cabinet. Tho other was the case of men who were returned tto New Zealand, but who were afterwards sent overseas for further medical treatment: Cabinet had approved of tho payment of gratuity for the time so spent overseas. Tho regulations governing the payment of grai'mty provided that in iho ease of a 6oldier who had returned from activo service sick or wounded he should be granted a minimum gratuity 'of eighteen months, but where a soldier, after his return, had received treatment in 'a hospital in New Zealand as an inpatient! for a period of six months continuously, a min'.iHim of two years' gratuity was paid. The Anomalies Committee found that this reference to "continuous treatment" was unfair to many soldiers who, having returned in the early period, had received hospi'.ial treatment at different times extending over a very long period, many having been under treatment for as much as eighteen months. The committee, therefore, recommended that where in their opinion tho soldier had been handicapped by these broken periods of -;Veatmont, a minimum of two years' gratuity should bo paid. This recommendation had also beon approved by Cabinet.

Praise for Colonels Eison and Hutchen,

"As I have remarked bofore," said Mr. ■Vldrich, "tho association has cause to congratulate i'.delf on the result. I feel certain that were more problems such as <t'he.se submitted to a committee and recommendations asked for, there would be far less dissatisfaction among the ranks of the returned soldiers. Of course we were fortunate in having the services of Colonels Es,son and Hutch-jn, who wero appointed to the committee. The wholehearted manner in which these geniiemen threw themselves into the task of rectifying what was undoubtedly a hardship to muiiv returned soldiers and the dependants o'f deceased soldiers, is deserving of the greatest commendation, and One executive of the N.Z U.S.A. has already passed n resolution recording the thanks of the association for their sympathetic consideration."

The committee which has been sot up to supervise the arrangements in connection wii.li "the annual picnic of the- Gear Company staff comprisos: Mossrs. I. Aitchc-son 'chairman), VV. Wright, Olarlc, I lew-son, Corner, Richnrds, House, len-thi-rslon, Meldrum, Lockett, Entwistlo, Morrison, an'l Henry. Messrs 1. 11. Wyett and 11. Reynolds are secretary and treasurer respectively