SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1919, Page 3

SOLDIERS' GRATUITIES.

HINTS TO APPLICANTS. Wellington, Saturday. About ten per cent, of the applications made for the war gratuity have been informal, and have had to be referred hack to the applicants. Consequently it is necessary to give a few hints regarding the method of filling in the simple form required by the Pay Office. A brief description of the methods adopted by the Defence Department in dealing with the applications will enable soldiers to realise the Necessity for accuracy in their share of the task of allocating the millions available for distributions.

Between September 23 and October Ist, 20,000 applications came to the Pay Office in Wellington. The mere task of checking and recording is giving a large staff ample work, but it is going on smoothly, and the payments ar<» nun being made on the first scries of correct claims. The hlled-in form:, have first to undergo scrutiny to make sure that the applicant has provided the information required. Many of the men fail to gjve two specimen signatures above the top line of the form, while others give' their signatures but write them in the blank space <bolowe the proper line, and thus interfere with the portion of the form which has to be used as a deposit slip in connection with the deposit of money to the applicant's credjt in a Post Office Savings Band. The middle of the form only has to' befilled in by the applicant, though many have mistakenly endeavoured to assist the Defence authorities iby giving complete details of their service and deductions in the lower portion. This information has to be taken from the ledgers, and not from the appliqants notes.

Explanations are often added to the lorni,'covering up space which is needed for office use. If explanations are considered necessary, a note can be attached to the application form. Any irregVarity means loss of time in payment, for the applications are .given a serial number as they are received, and if one has to be referred back, it may not return until several thousand forms have been passed ahead of it, taking precedence for payment Hundreds of letters have been sent applying for the difference between territorial pay and Expeditionary Force pay while in camp, and also for the retrospective allowance concessions which were announced at the same time as the gratuity. The first task of ti'.e nay branch is to deal with the war gratuity, but it is napidly getting ready for the other distributions. Applications for these allowances, etc., should not be included on the war gratuity form, but can be made by letter, and if the informa. tion supplied is sufficiently clear and complete, the payment will be made in due' course. If more information h required, n suitable application form will be sent in response to the letter. This will probably have to be done in most mses where children's allowance lias to be paid retrospectively, as it is important to ensure that the money goes to the person who has been or is now responsible for the maintenance of the children.