IN NEW ZEALAND. SOLDERS DEPENDENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9153, 29 May 1915, Page 6

IN NEW ZEALAND.

SOLDERS DEPENDENTS.

riIOVISION IX CASE OF DEATH

WJELLINGTON, May 28

The Minister for Defence stated this •evening that tho Cabinet had approved of ftn arrang.Mnent for bridging the intei-v-al that might elapse "between the; death of a Koldi<§r who had dependents hi New Zealand, and'"the payment of tho pension that would be provided by Parliament. In the ordinary course of events the pay of an officer or private would cease at death. If a portion of the pay had beea allotted for the support of depondejntß tho. Dtvfenoo Department -.vould no longer have lfgal iuithority to pay (.ho omoinit so allocated, but it wan obvious thai; these payments you Id not bo allowed to stop, since if (."her did do;i- nd"n.ts i/.'ight .suffer yrivalb,".. dwr-

ing the interval that necessarily would elapse before fche Pension Board could deal with the claims for pensions. The Government, therefore, had adopted a scheme that protected the interests of the departments.

The Government would continue the payment of allotments for 26 weeks after the official notification that the man who had made them was dead or missing, provided that the allotment was payable to, or on behalf of, the deceased's widow, sous under 18 years of age, unmarried daughters under 21 years of age, widowed mother or sister, or sisters having no parent or surviving brother.

It had been provided also that as regards the maximum daily amount of allotment payable, it shall* not exceed, in' the case of a Colonel, LicutenaritColouel or Major, 50 per cent, of such officer's daily pay; in the case of a Captain, 60 per cent, of such officer's daily pay; and in the case of a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant, 75 per cent, of-such officer's daily pay. The first monthly payment after the notification of an officer's death would be at the full rate of allotment, if the pension or allowance finally granted was at a higher rate than the allotment paid to the. dependent. .Then an adjustment would bo made. But if at a lower rate, no portion of the allotment alren-dy issued need be recovered. • .

These payments would be continued for a maximum period of six months, added the Minister, in order to allow of time for the arrangement of the pensions. The scheme would ensure that no dependents would 'be left stranded, even for a few weeks, owing to the death at the front of the man who had allocated to' them a portion of his pay.