PARSIMONIOUS TREATMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1919, Page 4

PARSIMONIOUS TREATMENT.

It is generally admitted that the Defence Department and the Government have done good work during the war, but not a little of the effect has been lost by the petty meanness and the lamentable lack of perception shown at various times. The separation allowances were fixed at first to discourage married men from enlisting. When the need for men was more fully realised, the Government had an opportunity of increasing the rates to allow of wives and children or other dependants living in some degree of decency and comfort, but it simply did nothing until its hands were forced by the Second Division League. The Government had a similar opportunity of doing the right thing in 'the right way in connection with pensions, which, were totally inadequate, but again it sat tight until public opinion, expressed by the same organisation, forced it into action. The war waß bought to a close sooner than was expected, and the Government had a splendid opportunity of at last doing justice to the claims of the married men who had volunteered earlier for retrospective allowances and financial assistance, so that they might be placed on the same footing as those called up in the Second Division, but the Government at first refused the just claim, then hesitated, and, seeing the majority of the House against it, grudgingly agreed to make the vote. Now, the Government is pursuing the same niggardly policy over the payment of these retrospective allowances, making them payable from the date of embarkation, and not, as they should, from the date of entering camp. This means a deduction of three months' allowances. The reason advanced by the Defence Minister is that the Departmental records are incomplete and that "the only evidence of active service status in the case of the soldiers of the Main Body and early reinforcements is the fact of 'embarkation." This is really an indictment of the mismanagement of his Department, which is big and expensive enough in all conscience, and should have been able to keep its properly. For the staffs' mistakes and inefficiency, therefore, the Minister would penalise soldiers and their dependents, and widows and children. There is nothing fair about tbis, and the Returned Soldiers' Association, which has taken it up, should not •let the matter stay where it is. If the records are in the bad state mentioned, then it is surely possible for the Department to make a provisional payment as from the date of embarkation and later, when the information regarding the date of entry into camp is available, complete the payment. That is the obvious duty of the Government, which, by its petty meannesses to those' who deserve well of the country is only bringing itself further into bad odor.