THE CAVALRY PAY.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1508, 4 March 1882, Page 2

THE CAVALRY PAY.

The following is the statement which was laid before the hon. Mr Bryce during his visit to Kihikihi by Captain Rutherford j and Trooper Gresham, of the Te Awamutu Cavalry :—: — Statement of Facts with regard to the Arrears of Pay, etc., due to tub Tboop. The Te Awamutu troop was specially enrolled as a frontier corps during the year 1871, upon the following conditions :—l.: — 1. That they were to drill or tram twice per annum, each training to , last six days, each day's drill to occupy the whole day, the exercise being during two hours in the forenoon and two hours in the afternoon. 2. That each member so drilling was to be paid by Government 7s per day, and in addition to such pay was to be entitled to a capitation allowance of £2 10s per annum, and (after having served for five years), to £30 worth of land scrip. These amounts I calculated for the five years would make : For drilling 60 days, at 7s per day, £21 ; five years capitation fee, at £2 10s, £12 ; land scrip, £30. Being a total per man of £63 10s ; or at the £12 14s each man per annum. In May, 1878, Government altered the pay to 15s per man diem, and decided to discontinue the land scrip. To this alteration the troop assented. This alteration cieatcd a reduction in the rate of pay per annum as follows : — The pay now amounts to £9 per man for the 12 days, being, exclusive of capitation, £1 4s less than the i enumeration contracted for. If the capitation were discontinued it would be £3 14s per annum less than the Government had so undertaken to pay. The troop received in respect of their May drill, 1878, 15s per man per diem, and (for that year) £2 10s capitation fee. The troop was regularly called out, and drilled twice per annum (m May and November), and up to, aud exclusive of May, 1880, each man received pay at the rate of 15s per diem, but no capitation allowance. On the Ist October, 1880, the troop was' called out for its usual November dull, which was appointed to commence on the 19th November, 1880. By the Volunteer Act, 1865 (since repealed), section 16, "No Volunteer can quit his corps without {otter aha) giving to the commanding officer three months notice in writing ot such intention." By section 18 of the same act ' ' The Governor is empowered to disband any corps." On the sth of of October, 1880, and subsequently to the issuing of the said notice calling otit the troop as above, the following telegram was received by Major Jackson :—: — Cambridge, April 10, 1880. To Major Jacksov, Kihikihi. Please inform men under your command that fifteen shillings per deim during training is discontinued and that usual rate of capitation for cavalry volunteers will only be granted. — (signed) WILLrAM C. L\'O\. The troop were consequently in this position. — 1. If they did not perform the drill as ordered they were liable to be heavily fined. 2. They could not quit the corps without, biter alia, giving thiee months notice, 3. The Government not having disbanded them, the troop were entitled to a strict adherence, by the Government, to the contract entered into. The troop consequently performed the November drill, and became entitled to £4 10s per man. That sum has never been paid, and is still due and owing by the Government. On the 19th March, ISBI, the troop was duly called out by Major Jackson (in command of the regiment), tor the spring drill, which was performed in connection with the great Easter review at Te Awamutu, wherein the Thames and Auckland Volunteers took part. The Government, in the meantime, not having disbanded the troop, the latter were compelled, as heretofore, to attend the drills under penalty of fine in default. The Government became liable to each man, in respect of this last mentioned dull, at the rate of £4 10s per man. On 29th April, pay at the rate of 7s per deim was sent up by the Government. One of the force, by way of protest again&t the breach of contiact committed by the Government, declined to accept £2 2s in lieu of £4 10s due, and his pay was, by direction of the Government, returned to the Treasury. By section 24 of the above act an annual capitation allowance of not exceeding £3 per man, shall be paid out of monies to be appropriated by the General Assembly for eaA r alry capitation. — The amount voted by the Assembly was at the rate of £2 10s per man. This allowance has not been paid to the troop since May, 1878, Having in view the contract for payment entered into by the Government, the troop has incurred the expense of say £120 for band instruments, also a sum of £100 15s for helmets. With regard to the bearing of capitation allowance upon the latter item, the hon Defence Minister (then Mr Rolleston), on 22nd September, 1881, in reply to a question by Mr de Lautour, said that the Government proposed to examine into all claims sent in in respect of liabilities incurred prior to the decision of the House last year that the capitation grant would be discontinued, and that those claims that were fairly incurred, in ignorance of the fact that the capitation allowance had been stopped, would be entertained. From the above statement the troop consonsider that there is due to them, per man, in respect of the drill, November, 1880, £4 10s ; in respect of the drill, April, 1881, less paid £2 2s, £2 8s ', that to the trooper who declined to accept the £2 2s above mentioned, there is due the whole amount of £4 10s ; that there is due for capitation allowance, p&r man, per annum, for the year ending May, 1879, £2 10s ,• ditto for year ending May, 1880, £2 10s ; making a total of £11 18s per man. The troop also desires that the Government should take into consideration the fact that the troop, in consequence of the Easter review, 1881, having been held at Te Awamutu, as aforesaid, have been put to an expense for entering the visiting corps. That such expense amounts, in the aggregate, to £85 11s. We, the undersigned, being members "of the A, or Te Awamutu troop of Waikato Cavalry Volunteers, are deputed to lay before you the foregoing statement of -facts with regard to the arrears of pay &c'due',to the troop. W. S. Rutherford, Captain ' , • -Thomas Gresham, .Trooper. * i To the HLon% the Defence Minister.

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