WAR GRATUITIES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 28, 24 September 1920, Page 13

WAR GRATUITIES.

A War Gratuity is a fr,ee gift made by a Nation or State to its soldiers at the successful conclusion of a war^ in recognition of their gervices rendered during the period of war. This gratuity is over and above all pay received, and of course, cannot be claimed as a right. After the South African War the gratuity paid to members of New Zealand Forces varied from £5 for a private to £30 for a lieuten. ant, £60 for a captain, £80 for a major, £160 for a lieut.col. and £2,000 for a general. The following countries pa-rtici-pating in the Ihte war paid out as a National thanksgiving the following gratuities 1. — Australia : ls 6d a day from the date of embarkation to the 28th June, 1919. 2. — Britain : Officers received a gratuity of 124 days' pay for the first year of Active Service and 62 days pay for each succeeding year; the maximum time being 5 years. The minimum gratuity paid to a private was £5, a corporal £6, a sergeairt £8, and a W.O. £15. Soldiers who completed more than 12 months' service received 10s a month in addition for War Sprvices Overseas; or 5s a month with no such service. When the total War Service did not amount to more than six monthg a soldier was not eligible for gratuity unless a portion had been rendered Overseas. 3. — Canada : For three years' service a gratuity of 183 days' pay was given ; for 2 years' service 153 days' pay was ailowed ; for 1 year (or under) 132 days' pay was allowed. In every case the pay allowed per day was not -less than th.at of a sergeant. 4. — New Zealand : A flat rate of ls 6d per day. 5. — United States : A gratuity of 10 dollars a month for each month of service was allowed with a minimum of 50 dollars. In the case of all New Zealand troops, the gratuity commenced to run from the date of embarkation, as it was a payment for service Overseas. Roughly speaking all soldiers fell into one of the three following categories : — 1. Those who lost their lives. 2. Those badly wounded and sent home as unfit. 3. Fit men. Recognising these three main classes the Government agreed upon the following: — 1. For those who lost their lives on Active Service, tlie gratuity was payable up to date of a man's decease, but in no case was the gratuity paid to be less than two years. 2. For those who were sent back urifit owing to wounds or sickness contracted in a theatre of war the mirfimum gratuity was fixed at eighteen months, but if the soldier spent six months as an inpatient in a hospital after his return the minimum was fixed at two years. 3. For those in the third category payment was made up to (a) The date of disembarkation or (b) the date of discharge abroad or (c) the 28th June, 1915, whichever came first. Having decided the amount of gratuity and the limits of payment the Government then determined who was to receive a deceased soldiers' gratuity; it was decided to pay this over to (or divide between) his widow, his children, his father, his mother or any other dependant who was in receipt of his pension. In the case of a living soldier whom the Defence Department thought incapable of looking after a large sum of money> provision was made to pay the money to his wife and family, or even, in some cases to a society able to distr: uite the money in the best interests of Ihe family, l'n all cases the Government has particularly watched the interests of children. c The gratuity was paid not only for service overseas but for honourable service overseas ; thus, any person (a) who forfeited any pay by Royal Warrant "(b) who forfeited more than 28 days' pay (c) who had pay stopped in hospital as the result * of misconduct or (d) who had pay stopped for illness caused by the soldier making himself unfit for service, had the same number of days deducted from his total. Furthermore, no gratuity was paid to an officer whose aervices were dispensed with or who resigned or who has been struck off the strength from any cause which in the opinion of the G.O.C; disqualiTies nim for gratuity ; and no soldier received a gratuity who was discharged with ignominy or on account of misconduct. The payment of gratuities commenced on the 11th October, 1919 and thousands oi pounds were paid out daily; the month showing the greatest payment was January 1920, when the sum of £1,098,000 was paid out. The total amount paid out up to the 31st August, is £5,423,000. The Government originally set aside £5,513,000 for this purpose so that they may be complimented on their accurate calculation; £100,000 more will be needed to pay all gratuity anomalies.

As soon as payment commenced, flaws or anomalies were founfi in the Defence Department's Regulations, consequently at the suggestion of the Defence- Minister, Sir James Allen, a committee consisting of Colonels Esson and Hutchen and Mr Aldrich was formed in April, 1920, to enquire into all cases which the regulations did not provide for. Over 200 cases were produced for the first adjudication, but before considering each case on its merits, general rules were framed, for guidance. The main principles laid down were : — !• — Gratuities in the case of deceased soldiers. It was found that in many cases where a soldier died either on Active Service or after returning to New Zealand, before gratuity had been paid, there was often no relative or dependant eligible according to the Act, to receive the gratuity - (widow, children, father, or mother) the ' committee considered that sub section 3 of section 7 of the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act, 1918, as amended by sub. section 2 of section 24 of the Finance Act, 1919, should he further amended to provide in the case of any officer, n.c.o., or man, who, after service in the N.Z.E.F. beyond the seas, has died while a member of that force, or who, after such service beyond the seas, has died after being hon. ourably discharged from the force without receiving his gratuity the latter may, if their are no cJaimants within the present statutory authority, be paid to or divided between his next of kin, beneficiary under the Will, allottee, or any person o"r persons whom the Minister of Defence thinks fit. Thus, when a gratuity is oue to a soldier, someone will receive it. To the relatives of a deceased soldier, the Australian Authorities paid the gratuity up to the 28th June, irrespective of when the inan died. 2. — Period of service in New Zealand on duty. It was considered that the principles that gratuities were payable for service dutside New Ze&land should be adhered to. This resolution was passed as a result of several applications that were received from men who return ed to New Zealand for Commissions. The majority of these men improved their positions by returning to New Zealand, consequently they do not suffer any undue hardship through this period not counting as qualifying service for gratuity. 3. — Minimum gratuity in the case of soldiers evacuated from a theatre of war. Each case should be considered on its merits as the committee decided that there might" be, owing to speeial circumstances, cases where a soldier should be considered as eligible for the minimum gratuity of two years, even although he was not evacuated from an actual theatre of war. 4.— Minimum gratuity of two years, payable in cases where soldiers have had six calendar months continuous hospital treatment after they returned to N.Z., evacuated from a theatre of war. The committee considered that they should not be tied to six months' continuous treatment, but they would be prepared to recommeud that a soldier should receive the two years' minimum if he was had considerable periods of hospital treat. ment in New Zealand at intervals both as au out-patient and as an in-patient. 5. — Payment of gratuities to Y.A.D.'s. To qualify for a gratuity under the present regulations a V.A.D. — 1.— Must have signed an agreemertt to serve with the N.Z.E.F. 2. — Must have served for not less than 12 months continuously with the N.Z.E.F. 3: — Must have been paid by Government Funds. 4. — Must have been domiciled in New Zealand. 5. — Must have been administered by the N.Z.E.F. The committee recommended that coiiditions 2 and 4 be deleted, this means that all V.A,D..'s paid and administered by the N.Z.E.F. will receive a gratuity. 6. — Cases of sick and wounded evacuated to New Zealand, and who later proceeded again on Active Service. The committee recommended that payment of gratuity for the first period should be a minimum of 18 months and the actual time" served for the second. 7.— Men who returned to New Zealand wounded and were sent Home, to England for further treatment. That in the case of those wTio after return to New Z.ealand wounded, were subsequently sent to England for further treatment, the period of absence from New Zealand for the purpose of such treat. ment should count as qualifying service for gratuity. This applies to limbless cases returned from Egypt to New Zealand in the early days of the war, who had sabsequently to be sent to England for fitting of limbs.