War Bonuses

Z1130/10/58/4, Postcard of Town Hall, St Paul's Square, 1905 (Bedfordshire Archives)

Wednesday 4th October: A special meeting of the Bedford Town Council was held to consider the question of war bonuses for educational employees who are on less than £200 a year, irrespective of gender. The bonuses proposed ranged from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent of the salary, in proportion to the salary received. The meeting was used as an opportunity to discuss all war bonuses. Alderman Browning pointed out that war bonuses had been liberal, as it was not expected that the war would last long. However, there were a good many people not entitled to it - families who had been struggling before the war and were now having to grapple with the increased cost of living. A discussion followed about the risks associated with reducing current bonuses, not least loss of faith. The Mayor agreed that current bonuses should remain the same and he carried a successful resolution that the matter of all war bonuses (which require expenditure of around £1,600 per year) be handed over to the Finance Committee to consider.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 6/10/1916