GENERAL RICHARD SON’S PENSION

Hokitika Guardian, 20 January 1930, Page 5

GENERAL RICHARD SON’S PENSION

ONE POUND WEEKLY,

LONDON, Dec. 5. The “Sunday Chronicle,” publishe in Manchester, had the accompany!n ; article, under thet heading quoted, i its issue of Dec. Ist:

His Excellency, Major-General Si George S. Ricfcfijdson, K.B E., C.B C.M.G., Croixide Guerre, Beige, Leg ion d’Honneiir, and Administrator c Western Samoa, who was a distill guished figure in the Great War, draw a pension of—£l a week!

To the British. War Office he

still merely ‘‘Quartermaster-Sergeant Richardson,” and although lie has now risen to the top ol the tree Whitehall continues to credit him religiously with the meagre pre-war pensio.* .attached to his early non-commissioned rank in the British Army. The “Sunday Giro dele” \v.- informed that his case will be vigorously stressed in the course of a new effort to secure readjustment of pensions for retired rankers who re-enlisted and served as officers during the war.

The General himself, of couise is net seeking an increased pension; it is an argument on principle by thou, sands of fellow ranker officers who have not reached such heights of distinction. PRE-WAR RANK. There are someth ng like 3000 exofficers who served in the ranks before the war, aud who, although granted commissions on re-enlistment during the world crisis, must now be content with pensions based on their pre-war rank. ;■■■ ■ Tlie reason is that, following the Boer War, the War Office laid it down that in any future war j old soldiers who re-enlisted would continue to draw their pensions while serving, but would receive no additions when they again “laid down the sword.” The refusal of . their demand for “war service to count for pension” is all the more aggravating to the old soldiers in view of, the fact that it has been granted to 26,000 of their comrades of the Navy,, whose retired nay is according., to the ranks they held at the end of the war. Joining the Army as a young mail, General Richardson was quickly promoted to non-commissioned rank. In 1891. when New Zealand was forming a regiment of artillery, he was sent out as an instructor,^and was -soon commissioned. He , was promoted to major in' 1913. c u>i

At the outbreak of War, Mr Winston Churchill selected liim to help direct the ill-fated Antwerp expedition. He took j part also in bath the Gallipoli and Salonika'enterprises, and finished uti as General Comma ndipg tire .New- Zealand trops in England. , A RETURNED UNSIGNED.

After the war he was commissioned to take over the administration of Western Samoa under the mandate granted to New Zealand by ; thp League of Nations. He was knighted in 1925.

When the pre-war pension rates were increased owing td, the cost of living, official documents were sent to New Zealand asking that an officer should endorse the signature of “Qiiartormaster-Sergeant> Richardson’’ when he applied for his ineiease. The documents were received back unsigned, with the following memorandum from Sir George Richardson. “As 1 am the quartermaster sergeant concerned, and as there is not another official available, I regret I am unable to provide the desired signatures toj, the certificates.”