FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1917, Page 6

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

GRANTED TO SOLDIERS,

739 CASES INVOLVING £23,542 A YEAR.

I _ A return showing the number of oases ! in which financial assistance to soldiers j had been approved tro to Julv 31 1917 I was laid on the table of the House of keprcseiitatives on Tuesday bv the Hon Sir James Allen (Minister' foi* Defence) The Minister stated that up to July 30 310 eases had been approved, the amount per annum involved being £9317 lis M; and during July 024 eases had been approved, involving the sum of £l9 40-1 Ms 7d a year. The gross totals were, therefore—!>73 cases approved; amount per annum involved, £2i,\B4-2 2s 4d. r„ addition 4G2 cases, in which grants' had been authorised, could not be submitted for approval until the obligations had been verified and tho exact" figures ascertained. Of the 037 approved eases 48, involving- £1834 per year, are balloted appellants; 152, involving £4037, balloted hon-appellants; 359, involving £ll-?(p voluntary recruits; and 414, involving £ll,WiG a year, members of the New 'Zealand Expeditionary Force. A lengthy discussion took place, in the course of which Messrs Ell, Poland and other members urged that part salaries'should be paid for all public servants enrolled, not only for officer teachers, raihvaymen, post office men, and wireles.s operators engaged for special duties, or that at least the war risk loading on their insurance premiums should ibo paid by the Government Messrs Veiteh, Talbot and Anderson uro--ed the claims of the Friendly Societies for further assistance, in view of the heavy financial responsibilities thrown on them because, of the war.

Sir James Allen stated that under the regulations assistance was n-ivon in the oaso of insurance premiums,' hut the total assitance in respect of mortgage interest, rent time payments on house and furniture, insurance, etc., was limited to £2 a week, Mr. McCoinbs declared that financial assistance, in the case of men with property interests, was at once «iven bv a Government controlled by propertyhut when the Second Division men asked for greater consideration for their wives and families, they were told that they must wait till Parliament made provision for them.

Sir James Allen strongly contested his point of view.