War Financial Regulations (Amendment) (Cth)

STATUTORY RULES.

1918. No. 225.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903–1917.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903–1917, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this twenty-eighth day of August, 1918.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

GEO. H. WISE,

for Minister of State for Defence.

 

Amendment of War Financial Regulations.

After War Financial Regulation 78, add the following Part and Regulations:—

Part XX.—Munition Workers and Navvies.

Definitions.

79. In this part—

The term “Munition Worker” means any skilled civilian workman who has been accepted by, and has entered into an agreement with, the Commonwealth Government to proceed to Great Britain for the purpose of engaging in the work of producing munitions for the Imperial Government or otherwise, and includes any engineering mechanic, shipworker, bricklayer, carpenter, and any member of such other trade or profession as may be approved by the Commonwealth Government from time to time.

The term “Navvy” means any unskilled civilian workman who has been accepted by, and has entered into an agreement with, the Commonwealth Government to proceed to Great Britain for the purpose of engaging in navvying or labouring work for the Imperial Government or otherwise, and includes any navvy, labourer, fettler, and any member of such other unskilled occupation as may be approved by the Commonwealth Government from time to time.

Munition Workers.

Munition workers’ passages.

80. Every Munition Worker shall be provided with a free passage from Australia to Great Britain in a transport or such other vessel as the Minister may determine, and shall as soon as practicable after the termination of the present war or at such earlier time as the Minister may direct be provided with a return passage in a similar vessel from Great Britain to Australia.

 

Allowances.

81. Allowances as follows shall be paid by the Commonwealth to and on behalf of a Munition Worker:—

Voyage allowance.

(a) A voyage allowance of £5 for expenses on each the forward and the return journey.

Dependants’ allowance.

(b) In the case of a Munition Worker with dependants a dependants’ allowance as under shall be paid to the wife, mother, or other member of the family approved by the Minister if resident in the Commonwealth or New Zealand at the date of embarkation of the Munition Worker, and shall continue to be so paid during the residence of the dependants in the Commonwealth or New Zealand until the agreement of the Munition Worker is terminated—

(i) For the first 8 weeks after embarkation 25s. per week and a further sum of 2s. 6d. per week for each child under the age of 16 years actually dependent on the Munition Worker.

(ii) After the expiration of 8 weeks from the date of embarkation and until the return of the Munition Worker to Australia an allowance of 20s. per week and a further sum of 2s. per week for each child actually dependent on the Munition Worker.

Provided that where the voyage to Great Britain occupies longer than 8 weeks, the allowance under (i) shall be paid for the period of the voyage and for 7 days subsequent to the arrival of the vessel in Great Britain, and the allowance under (ii) shall commence on the day following the cessation of the payment under (i).

Navvies.

Navvies’ passages.

82. Every Navvy shall be provided with a free passage from Australia to Great Britain in a transport or such other vessel as the Minister may determine, and shall as soon as practicable after the termination of the present war or at such earlier time as the Minister may direct be provided with a return passage in a similar vessel from Great Britain to Australia.

Allowances.

83. Allowances as follows shall be made by the Commonwealth to and on behalf of a Navvy:—

Voyage allowance.

(a) A voyage allowance of 3s. per diem inclusive of Sundays shall be made for the period commencing on the day of the embarkation of the Navvy for Great Britain and extending to and including the day preceding his landing in Great Britain and for the period commencing on the day of his departure from Great Britain and extending to and including the day of his arrival at the port of disembarkation in Australia.

Sustenance allowance.

(b) A sustenance allowance of 4s. per diem inclusive of Sundays shall be made for the period commencing on the day of the landing of the Navvy in Great Britain and extending to and including the day preceding his commencing work in Great Britain provided that in the event of a Navvy when appointed to any work failing to commence such work the allowance shall be discontinued forthwith.

 

Special allowance.

(c) A special allowance of 2s. per diem inclusive of Sundays shall be made for the period of the agreement entered into by the Navvy.

Separation allowance.

(d) Separation allowance for the benefit of the wife and children under 16 years of age of the Navvy equal to that granted in favour of the wife and children respectively of a married Private serving with the Australian Imperial Force shall be made during the continuance of his service to the wife of the Navvy or other person approved by the Minister provided that such separation allowance shall not be payable by the Commonwealth in respect of any dependants who do not reside or who cease to reside in the Commonwealth or New Zealand.

Working allowance.

(e) A working allowance of 10d. per diem but not exceeding 5s. 6d. per week shall be paid for the benefit of dependants from the day the Navvy commences work in Great Britain.

Allowance to parents.

(f) Separation allowance for the benefit of the parent or parents of the Navvy equal to that granted in favour of the parents of a Private serving with the Australian Imperial Force shall be made to such parent or parents in Australia or New Zealand provided that—

(i) Such parent or parents are proved to the satisfaction of the Minister to be dependent upon the Navvy.

(ii) That the Navvy makes the allotments set out in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of regulation 84 in favour of such parent or parents. Such allowance shall not be payable by the Commonwealth in respect of a parent or parents who do not reside or who cease to reside in the Commonwealth or New Zealand, and for the purpose of assessing the amount of the allowance and of allotments payable, the parents of the Navvy shall be deemed to be a single dependant.

Allotments by Navvies.

84. A Navvy shall make the following allotments in favour of his Dependants in the Commonwealth or New Zealand:—

(a) From voyage allowance: 1s. 6d. per diem (10s. 6d. per week).

(b)From sustenance allowance: 1s. 6d. per diem (10s. 6d. per week).

(c) From special allowance: the whole.

(d) From earnings: 5s. per week.

Provided however that:—

(i) An allotment from earnings to a parent or parents shall not be compulsory.

(ii) If the Navvy be a widower or an unmarried man with a dependent parent or parents he shall be required to make allotments in favour of his dependants under (a), (b), and (c) of this regulation only.

 

Method of payment of allowances.

(iii) Payments to dependants under one or other of the allotments specified in paragraphs (a) and (b)of this regulation shall be continued by the Commonwealth for the period of the voyage and until the day preceding that on which the Navvy commences work in Great Britain. Payments to dependants under the allotments specified in paragraph (d)of this regulation shall commence on the day the Navvy commences work in Great Britain.

Special allowance may accumulate.

(iv) In the case of a Navvy without dependants in Australia the special allowance referred to in regulation 83(c) shall accumulate and be paid to him on his return to Australia on the termination of his agreement.

Augmentation of wages.

85. In the event of a Navvy being unable from causes beyond his own control to earn in any week the standard rate of wage of £2 0s. 6d., the Commonwealth shall make to him such payment as is necessary to bring his earnings exclusive of allowances in such week up to such standard rate.

General.

Disembarkation through illness on outward voyage.

86. Allowances may be paid to or on behalf of a Munition Worker, or Navvy, who is disembarked on the outward voyage at an Australian port on account of illness not due to his own misconduct in the following manner, that is to say:—

(a) Where the Medical Board considers that he will be fit within one month to continue the voyage to take up work in Great Britain, he shall receive no pay for the period of incapacity but the allowances to dependants shall be continued as though he were still on the voyage to England.

(b)Where the Medical Board considers that he will be unfit to continue the voyage within one month and unfit to resume his civil occupation in Australia, he will receive no pay for the period of his incapacity but allowances as prescribed shall continue to be paid to dependants until the termination of his agreement.

(c) Where the Medical Board finds a Navvy unfit to continue the voyage within one month, but fit to resume his civil occupation, allowances as prescribed shall be paid to him as well as to his dependants until his services under the agreement are terminated.

Illness due to misconduct.

87. A Munition Worker or Navvy who contracts an illness due to his own misconduct shall forfeit all allowances payable on his behalf for the period of his incapacity but allowances shall be continued to the dependants and recovered from his earnings.

Men returned to Australia medically unfit.

88. In the case of a Munition Worker or Navvy returned to the Commonwealth as medically unfit and after medical examination on return found to be fit to resume his civil occupation, allowances to dependants shall continue to be paid to the date of arrival in the District in which the worker was engaged provided that he proceeds there by the shortest practicable route on disembarkation.

 

Payments to dependants on return to Australia.

89. In the case of a Munition Worker or Navvy unfit to resume his civil occupation immediately on arrival in Australia, allowances to dependants shall continue to be paid as follows:—

(a) If treated in hospital in the District to which the Munition Worker or Navvy belongs: to the date of discharge from such hospital.

(b)If treated in hospital in a District other than that to which the Munition Worker or Navvy belongs: to the date of arrival in his own District, provided that he proceeds there by the shortest practicable route on discharge from hospital.

Re-embarkation Pay.

90. In the case of a Munition Worker or Navvy who returns to Australia on account of illness and subsequently re-embarks for service abroad, allowances shall be paid as though the Munition Worker or Navvy was embarking for service abroad for the first time.

Death during the term of agreement.

91. In the event of the death during the term of his agreement of a Munition Worker or Navvy, to whom the benefits of any Act of Parliament providing for compensation to dependants do not apply, the allowances which were being paid to dependants of the deceased at the time of his death shall be continued for a period of two months from the date of notification of death to the District Commandant.

Uncertainty as to date of embarkation.

92. Where the embarkation of a Munition Worker or Navvy is postponed, or uncertainty exists as to the date on which he shall embark, and as a consequence, hardship results, payment may be made to such Munition Worker or Navvy of the sum of 3s. per diem and allowances as prescribed by these Regulations may be paid to his dependants.

Deduction—Court Order.

93. The District Commandant may approve of a deduction from the allowance paid to the wife or other dependant of a Munition Worker or Navvy of an amount not exceeding 1s. per diem when a Court Order for the maintenance of an illegitimate child of a Munition Worker or Navvy is produced.

Tools of Trade.

91. The Commonwealth Government will pay the cost of conveyance of the tools of trade of a Munition Worker or Navvy from the workman’s home in Australia to his first place of work in Great Britain, and on the return journey to Australia from the workman’s place of work in Great Britain to his home in Australia; and the Commonwealth Government will accept the risk of safe carriage of such tools up to an amount of £20, from and after their delivery to the Department of Defence in Australia, and until delivery to the workman in Great Britain, and on the return journey to Australia from and after their delivery by the workman to the officer responsible for placing the tools on board ship until delivery thereof to the workman in Australia.

   

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Acting Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

 

C.9660.—2