SOLDIERS' ORATUTY

Southland Times, Issue 18845, 10 June 1920, Page 6

SOLDIERS' ORATUTY

PAYMENT PRACTICALLY COMPLETED. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 9. Applications and payments for the service gratuity have now practically ceased. It was officially stated yesterday that up till Saturday last there had been paid out in gratuities a total of £5,276,000, representing about 91,000 applications. There were over 100.000 men in the Expeditionary Force, but this included some thousands who were not entitled to gratuities, and others who had returned to the Dominion and had left again on active service. This reduced the number actually entitled to payment to about 96,000. About 1000 of 5000 who still had a claim to the gratuity might represent men who obtained their distcharge in England, but the returns of the actual numbers are. still to come to band. The names and addresses of the remainder had been ascertained and the dues would be paid out to them when application was made. The Department is now occupied in payment of retrospective children’s allowances, j The staff of the War Expenses branch has ] been reduced since December from about 4SO to 150.