THE PROMISED GRATUITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1919, Page 5

THE PROMISED GRATUITY.

CAUSE OF THE DELAY. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' Wellington, May fl. The payment of the promised gratuity to members and ex-members of the Expeditionary Force has been delayed by the demand of the Returned Soldiers', Association that tho rates qf gratuity should be increased to the Canadian level. It was stated the New Zealand rates were very much lower than the Canadian, and the Minister for Defence undertook to make inquiries on the point. It appears (hat there has been some misunderstanding regarding the position in, Canada. -It is tine that Canada is proposing to pay a relatively large gratuity, but the Canadian soldiers have not received the benefits that New Zealand has provided for her men. The Canadians have not had any scheme of financial assistance, and their separation allowances, payable largely by the patriotic societies and not by the Govornment, have been less liberal than the New Zealand allowances The Canadian gratuity, moreover, is being regarded as the Government's chief measure of repatriation, whereas the Xew Zealand Government is spending large sums of money on various branches of repatriation work. An exact comparison between the two countries would be difficult to make, but it seems clear that a mere statement of the gratuity rates does not by any means explain the whole position.