FIRST PAY DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20072, 19 October 1939, Page 11

FIRST PAY DAY

SOLDIERS AT TRENTHAM INTRICATE JOB COMPULSORY SAVING The biggest event in the lives of soldiers at Trentham, next to their attesting for military service, will be the first pay clay--Friday of this week. It has been a big job, arranging the pay of 1000 officers and men, and those who arc working under the camp paymaster, Captain D. EckhofT, have agreed that they will put in any number of hours necessary daily to see that the men get their money on time and without a hitch on Friday. The men have been a fortnight in caiYip, so that their first pay—a fortnight’s—will be more than welcome. The job is not the simple one ot banding out to each private a fortnight’s pay at seven shillings a day. There are allotments and allowances to be fixed up before the exact amount payable to each is determinable, and this makes a varied range, according to rank, dependents and the nature of allotments. Soldiers will be savers, not by choice but by rule. The minimum allotment for an unmarried private is 2s a day front his rate of 7s a day. This makes him thrifty to the extent of 14s a week, with a correspondingly higher figure for those receiving more pay than the private. This compulsory deduction can be allotted to a blood relative—iu most cases probably dependents—or in the absence of a relative, to the soldier’s post office account. As yet there is nothing to prevent a soldier operating on his post office account whenever he tikes, blit it is hoped that the men will allow their money to accumulate so that when they have some special leave it will be a useful addition to whatever they have in hand. A soldier who chooses to let his money remain in his savings \ account for the duration of his service can have a tidy sum to his credit when he is discharged.