CORRESPONDENCE. WAIKATO CAVALRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1377, 30 April 1881, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE. WAIKATO CAVALRY.

The Arrears of Pay due from the Government. — Important to Troopers. TO THE KDITOR. Sjk, — In reference to the pai agraph horeon appealing in your issue of to-day, I beg that you will allow me to make a tew observations. In so doing, I \ush it to be understood that I do not piopose to raise the question as to whether the pay of 10s per day is too much or too little. For the benefit of those members ot the Regiment who may not have had the advantage of perusing the paragraph referred to, I will, with your permission, quote it as followb :— " We have the best authority for stating that the Government have decided to resume the system of payment to Volunteers. The members of the Waikato Cavalry will receive seven shillings per day. We trust this action will be made retrospective as well, in view of the expense to which the Volunteers have lately been put." Now as to facts : When I joined the Cavalry in May, 1878, it was upon the conditions then specified ; one of them being that I was to receive fifteen shillings per day for twelve days per annum, neither more nor less. This pay I received for the twelve days of 1878 ; for the twelve days in 1879, and for the Easter Drill of six days in ISSO. For the drill in November ISBO, and for the cli ill just concluded, the Government have not. as yet paid us. Consequently the Government owes to each Trooper, -who performed his drills, the sum of £9. Those Troopers who did not perform those drills .were fined in aocordance with the conditions above referred to. "We heard rumours, — and rumours only — that tlfe Government, — with their very numerous retrenchments — had decided to discontinue the pay. No intimation, however, of an official character was given to us, and nothing upon the subject appealed in the Gazette. Now one of the conditiona upon ■which we join, is, that no member of the regiment can terminate his service except upon giving a formal and stipulated notice. Without notice to us, the Government cannot terminate the contract into which the}' have entered with us (as to paying us fifteen shillings per diem.) The Government had it in their power to put an end to our existence, as a corps, by disbanding us. Possibly on the ground of expediency, they have not taken this step. " On the contrary they have, through their agent (the Tlndor-secretary for defence) and in many other ways such as by gazetting us as a regiment, approved of our two last drills taking place. When, therefore, Sir, you say that you hope that the " aotion will be made retrospective," if you hereby mean that you trust that the Government will pay us at the rata of Beven shillings for the last two drills, instead of the rate of fifteen shillings a day, which they owe us, you fall into an error, from which I am anxious to guard all my comrades. I learn, on good authority, that no less a personage than the Honorable the At-torney-General has been consulted on this subject by the Government, and that ho advised them to the effect that they are liable for the £9 per man Be this bo or no, I wish every man in the regiment to be made fully aware — through your columns — of his rights, in this matter, against the Government. We have given no authority to any person to acquiesce in the receipt of any, less Bum, for past services) tban at the rate of fifteen shillings per day ; and I here record my formal protest against any less sum being accepted. In conclusion, I may say that I shall be happy to > hear from -any of the troopers, who may like to communicate with me on this subject. — I am, '&c. 5 Thomas Gbeshak, < < . ■ • A. iTroop, , .Tb Awamutu. 28th April, 1881. *