SECOND DIVISION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9791, 15 October 1917, Page 7

SECOND DIVISION

SEPARATION ALLOWANCES PROPOSALS OF SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE. Tho central executive of the Second Division League has sent the following letter to each member of Parliament: In viow of tho foot that Parliament is to bo given an opportunity to review tho regulations governing tho scale of separation allowances proposed by Government and, if members sec fit, to move for an increase, wo venture to respectfully bring under your notice tho following points:— The total amount of tho expenditure on separation allowances cannot be termed an annual liability, The amount will increase from month to month in accordance with the drafts sent forward, and decrease in accordance with the discharge of men or transference of liability to the Pensions Department. Only the interest on the amount expended can bo regarded as an annual liability. Tho Government’s proposals are: For tho wife, 3s per day; for each child, Is; for widowed mothers. Is 6d per day. The proposals of the Second Division League are: For the wife, 6s per day; for each child, Is 6d per day; for widowed mothers (if wholly dependent) an amount equivalent to a wife. Tho league holds that the deferred pay of the soldier should bo reserved for his return to help to set him on Ills feet again, and should not ho hsocl for tho maintenance of his dependents during his absence. This principle applies now in regard to single soldiers who have no dependents and is certainly more necessary in the case of married men. The Government’s proposals, including the deferred pay of 3s per day, admit the necessity of a wife being provided for to the extent of £2 2s per week. _ The Government’s new scale of pensions to children acknowledges the necessity of providing the separation allowance of Is 6d per day for each child as asked for by tho league. WIDOWED MOTHERS. With reference to widowed mothers, section 7, sub-section 3 of the WarPensions Amendment Act, 1916, acknowledges tho equality of a widowed mother to a wife in the case of the death of a member of the Forces, and the league holds that Logically tho same equality must exist during the life ot the member of tho Forces. It is therefore asked that in framing tho regulations the widowed mother (if wholly dependent upon the soldier) should he provided for to the extent of 6s per day. Wo understand that it is proposed to extend the income embargo in. the case of widowed mothers from 7s per week to 10s per week, but as wo also understand that the old-age pension has been increased, to 15s per week, the extension referred to does hot meet the proposal of tho league _ that tho receipt of the old age p.ension or an equivalent income from any other source shall not debar dependents from participation in • benefits. It would therefore bo necessary to secure an extension of the income embargo to Iss per week. We also respectfully submit that the provision of separation allowances for other dependents should be given favourable consideration by members as liability in such cases is recognised under the War Pensions Act. Tho league also holds that a chronic invalid wife should be granted 10s poxweek extra; and a chronic invalid child 5s per week extra. (No ago limit to apply to such chronic invalid children.) The league also strongly contends that allocations and allowances should not be affected by the misconduct of the soldier. It is well known that offences that would be considered trivial in civil life ore made tho subject of long terms of punishment under the Military Regulations, and it is absolutely wrong in principle that the dependents of soldiers should be made to suffer in such circumstances.- Definite provision is also asked to be made for the continuation of separation allowances until pensions are granted. The league also holds that a special ration allowance of 3s fid per day should be provided for all soldiers on final leave. According to “Hansard,” No. 26, page 416, Idle Minister for Defence stated that tho estimated liability per annum at September 30th, 1918, on the Government’s proposed new scale of separation allowances, would be £2,037,691. The actual expenditure on separation allowances on the Government’s scale for tho year ending September 30th, 1918, works out approximately as follows: £ Dependents of married sol- . diors already serving three months at old rate and nine months at new rate 600,665 Dependents of Second Division men (say, six monthly drafts of 1921) 219,594 Total £820,259 Tho expenditure for the year ending September 30th next on the league’s scale of 6s per day for the wife, Is 6d per day for each child, and widowed mother equivalent to wife (if wholly dependent) calculated as indicated above would bo approximately £1,482,-8-12. The annual liability would only bo the intca-c.it on this amount. On the assumption that tho amount of £2,037,691 quoted by tho Minister for Defence as the estimated liability has been provided for as the cost for the year ending September 30th, 1918, it will at once be seen that there is a. margin of £-554,849 to spare over and above the estimated cost entailed in granting the full proposals of the league. It must be remain bored that tho cost entailed by provision for dependents of the Second Division will from the outset be a- gradually-in-creasing monthly liability in accordance with the number and strength of the drafts sent.