WAR GRATUITIES.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 August 1919, Page 5

WAR GRATUITIES.

VVHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE. i 81-G PAYMENTS INVOLVED. I '—'._- 1 Sir James Allen submitted his gratuities scheme to Cabinet on Tuesday,j says the Dominion, but Cabinet. had not time to deal with it fully, and it must‘ have full consideration at one if not‘ more meetings during the week. No} announcement may be made before thea: end of the week. A great deal of interest has for a long time been shown by the soldiers as to the amount of the gratuities to be paid. The most general suggestion is that the amount may be a shillingi for every day of service, although very many of them’ demand more than this.‘ A shilling a day does not amount to‘ much for the individual soldier, but it‘ will amount to a great deal in the} aggregate. For the purpose of an esti- » mate, it will be fia-irl‘y' correct to aver- ’ age the service of every man at two years. At this rate the charge for! gratuities would amount t'o very little I short of four millions. The same re-' sult may be reached by another process of icajlcul-ationl {The scheme first brought down by the‘ Government pro | posed that married men should receive ' payment for one week for every thirteen weeks of service, and that single men should receive one week’s pay for every eighteen weeks of service. This_ payment, it was estimated, would amount to a million and a quarter, and the rate would have been rather less than 4d per da.y. With extra provision ' for ofiicers, which would certainly be considered in accordance with Army! practice, the amount involved on the shilling a day basis would be quite‘ four millions: The amount is a very big one, and it_ is quite possible that the Government will propose something less under all ' heads—-say, three millions. The payment of retrospective allowances, which is being granted, will amount :to a quarter of a million. The total under the head of pensions will be small relatively. To reducethis to figures for the individual soldier, tlje payment would amount to about £1 for every month of service. i ‘ I It should beuinderstood that these; are ,not ofiieial figures. and there are‘ not yet, any final ofiicial figures, because the scheme has not had the ap- } provnl of Cabinet. E