R.S.A. NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3551, 13 August 1920, Page 6

R.S.A. NEWS

CONFERENCE REMITS.

MIN IST ERIAL REPLIES.

‘The following replies have been "given to remitg forwarded by the recent I{.S.A. Conference:—— That Gratuities in the case of deceased soldier-s who did not have any of the‘:-cl:-firms as referred ‘to in «the Act he gevif. to either Uncle. ‘Of Aunt, or sister‘ Hr brother; and that wherever :1 can? uni be proved- of‘-rinyo-ne of the übcx e I'€iJ—tiollS‘ during the lifetime of t‘x«: iieceused having spent money, ur e.'e.i'ed for ~tile deceased more than the othevrs. their the Grmtuity be paid tr.» ‘aim or her. This matter ims la‘-lready been dealt. with by the Grutuify Anomalies Committee. ~and “heir recommendations, are

now uiider consideration. That the allowance of 5s per day as paid by the Defence Department to lirnbless men whilst attending the Limbless Repair Factory is iii-adeqifiite and that ‘this. allowance at least be doubled, also in respect. to men resident in city or suburbs. . The :lllO\\‘:U1(1.(3 has already been increased from 55 to 7s 6d per diem, with the addition of provision for sup-it plementary pensions in cases where pensioners are compelled to leave their ‘l homes: and their employment to ‘at-. btend :1 Limb Repair Establishment.‘ The total emoluments the i]ldlVldlltll concerned will receiye under tliese con- I ditions will, .tßere.fore, amount to“ slightly more than 10s per diem. ' I To make Defence Department bor~ 3 uses applicable to members on active’ ‘service abroad as “well as to these re- 1 maining in New Zealancl. If -this "refers to The cost of -liviiig bonus, there (lees not appear to be any legitimate claim to this for those who were serving with the N.Z.E.F., as. they continue to draw tlle'ir ordinary board and lodgings and clothing, 01' allowances in lieu thereof. Also for those who were married, separzrtion allowance at 3s" per diem and children’s ullotmnce at. 21s 6d per day were issued, w‘he.reas the Home Service rates for theseallowances were‘ 1s and 911 per diem respectively.‘ _ . . , , _,

To_place ‘the Defence Department in the same position :Is'all other Government Ds‘p:lrtmen’.'>‘, as regards‘ the payinent by -:he- War Expenses Department cf superanzxua’Eioll premiums of members on active service.

“I (Sir R. H. Rhodes) agree with the "ruling previously [given re this matter by the Hon. Sir James Allan, viz., that as the Staff of the Defence Departimenc. who served overseas were in receipt of their permanent salaries plus N.Z.E.F. allowaiices, they are not entitled ‘to the same consideration as other civil :<ervanlS whose mliitary pay ‘ was,‘with few exceptions, less than their civil rate pay. I That the Association reviews with regret the attifiude of the Minister of’ Defence regzmling Retrospective Pay,‘ and (l€‘lllll.ll\l the retrospectioii of all allowances anil pay made to siltliers ifkall 1-:ml:.~:, anal -so bring übout. 21 uniform :~;t':i:2alar:l for the \\'}mle!wzu'i period. I The Governnient has already tlecided ; that increase of pay} shall not he made ' I‘eti'osper.-ti\’e be}/(m<l the <late.< :ili'e:i(l_v authorised, and I regrc-t.~to inform-y"o11 1 that it is_not intenclecl to alter this decision. _ i That. this .=\.ss;.-ciation instruct}: the-3| incoming; Dominion E-.\:eeutive to 011-‘. quire in‘o ‘the lmmlling of files, and if i it is found that the files are lmndlecl l ‘by women at any H7llß. the Association i takes .~:‘.z-on-__z‘zi.eticvn so have the prac-I tice stopped. I Women have been employed in the} Base Reecr;'i~, tlihice :‘.‘H(l huxie handled ‘ the file during -the whole of the war! period, and it is not considered desirable at this 5-fzzge to substitute by finale clerl<_s the comparatively small! number of vvlznen now employed there, ; especially in ’\.’l’c\*.‘ of the rm that me f cn1pl0:,'m(:!1E. is wily of u teniporziry Ixuture. ’l"li:Lt ‘Elie fixer." Zcaluntl Relllrneél Soldiers’ Association ‘V.:XU‘\"S ‘.\'llll 1,-'l':i\*e 3.pDi'Gll(‘T]>llO7l ihe. rumours that are gaining <_v-;.mund that the files of ex s0l(li«_-rs are (jpifll to the l"oli<,-.e. and zreq‘-.xe.~:ts the ‘(.:‘C‘.‘el'llmenl: to publicly re-zltl'irnl that i'i:u>E: flies are :2l::‘olutely inviolate. ‘' ' -ft’, The files of soldier's whether dis; chul'_{_-‘ml or umli.~'Ch:s.rgc(_l are not open to the I’olice‘nol‘ is any infornl=:lt.ion as to anything <.letrime.nt:il in :1 SOl- - niilitziry hist.r.~ry (liscloserl -to the Police. 1 . I

That in‘ all appointments to the N.Z. Staff Corps, commissioned officers ofi the N.Z.E.F. shall have equal oppor-‘, ‘tuuit§e_.< zznfi. members of the pre-war? ‘permaént: ;~:*.:zlT shall not be prejudiced.

There is not -the .<li.ght.est likelihood ‘ of any fur»t.her special appointments; being made to the N.Z. Staff Corps or! R.N.Z.A. and normal vecancies will be‘ filled by your olficers whi earn scho]ar- « ships aml who graduate through the Staff College; and those members of t-he'N.Z. Permanent Staff who having passed an equivalent examination are selected. _ ‘ That this Association consitlers than

£3.11 efficient. Defence Scheme 1: essenftinl to NZ. as :1. country in itself and ; as part of the l§nlpil'e. 7 ‘ l.«. 1 (Sir R. H. Rhodes) am glad toi ‘hear -the views hf the. Ret.urnor'l Sol- ’ diers on this inlpoi't:lllt :mr\tfor anrl will Iliave great pleasul'e in placing Ihcir views before Cabinet. I That all patients tl'a\'elling to {lncl lfrom hospital shall be granted Hr l class :Iccc.nmlod:lt.ion and ’rll:lir patients ltl'avellin.g on the Main Trunk Linc shall in future. be provided with .~'lm?ping berths. A The .-\.D.M.S. in «:»z1r3.11 district‘ has been empowered to g‘l‘:lllt' lsf vlass ac—commodation tint] also -to m'l':lngo for’ sleeping berths when possible to :cll,l' patients whose physical- vomlition re—.,quil'os it. !