SOLDIERS' PAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1917, Page 6

SOLDIERS' PAY.

IS MILITARY PAY ADEQUATE ? At a meeting of the Second Division League in Wellington recently Mr. R. A Armstrong read a letter from a soldier concerning military pay. Tn tlie course of the letter the* soldier, dealing witli the hardship enforced on soldiers' wives says:—"ln civil life husbands took home £3 to £4 10s every week, and it was enough to keep them decently and respectably. I •will do my hest to give you the rate of pay we get in camp, not the pay we get in the papers: Per day. iPer week. ■■'■■-■• °£ a & £ s d Child's allowanco 0 0 9 0 5 3 Man's pay ...... 0 5 0 1 15 0 I Wife's allowance 0 10 0 7 0 Totals ~:....- '£o <S 9 £2 7 3 This was the .pay that I got on coming into camp, and I as* you to listen to how it iwaa spent:—ss ,pcr week for myself for train fares and stamps and tobacco. I came from , and thought I would fetch my family nearer, so I picked on Wellington, took two rooms (25s per week), as I wanted my wife to iive in a respectable place. I had several places offered me from 15s up to 35s per week, and some of them you could only call 'places' and that's all. That left me, or my wife, 17s 3d a week to live, feed, and clothe herself, and the baby to keep. Fortunately we had a bit of money left by to tide things over, but hdw are those women going to get on if they have no spare cash put by and have only their allowance to keep themselves on? Some of them won't ask for assistance, and sooner or later take what to some appears to bo the easier way of getting the money. In conclusion I hope to God that you strike out and get a higher rate for yourselves and those that are dependent en you."