OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 296, 15 December 1898, Page 2

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

HOW TO OBTAIN THE PENSION.

•: The full regulations for the opera- j tion of the Old Age Pejjjsjops Act were published1 in a Government 'Gazette' under date of December 0. THE PENSION DISTRICTS AND ... DEPUTY .REGISTRARS, By order of the Governor-in-Council, £g provided for in the Act, the pension 4istricts have been defined, and for Auckland Province they have been tfpjed as follows:-—Mongoiuii, boundaries same as for Mongonui County; [Russell, boundaries those of Bay of Islands-County; Whangaroa, boundaries those of Whangaroa County; Ra•wene, boundaries those of Hokianga County; Whangarei, boundaries those of Whangarei County; Dargaville, boundaries those of Hobson County; Maungaturoto, boundaries those of <?tamatea County; Warkworth, boundaries those of Rodney County; Helensyille, boundaries those of Waitcmata County; Auckland, boundaries those of Eden County; Onehunga, boundaries those of Manukau County, Coromandel, boundaries those of Coromandel County; Thames, boundaries those of Thames County; Paeroa, boundaries those of Ohinemuri County; Raglan, boundaries include Raglan and Kawhta Counties; Te Aroha, boundaries those of Piako County; Hamilton, boundaries include Waikato and Waipa Counties; Tauranga, boundaries those of Tauranga County; Rotorua, boundaries those of Rotorua County; Whakatane, boundaries those of Whakatane County; Port Awanui, boundaries those of Waiapu County; Gisbprnc, boundaries those of Cook County. In connection with each of these ♦Pension districts' a Deputy-Registrar is apointed. In the case of Auckland the Deputy-Registrar is the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages; and for the other districts of the Province the person holding the office of Clerk j of the Court for the Magistrates; Court held in the town bearing the same name as the name of the district is gazetted as Deputy-Registrar. .FORM FOR THE PENSION CLAIM. "In the wording of the Act there are j altogether 22 printed forms; but the j one chiefly concerning applicants for j pensions is that by which the appb-1 is made. It is as appended: I [Full name], hereby make claim for a pension under the aforesaid Act, and in support thereof do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:'— 1 My full name is [Full name]. 2. I reside at [Place of residence and postal address], within the [Name of district] Old Age Pension District. 3. My occupation is [If" of no present occupation, say so, and state the last]. 4. I am [State whether single, married, widow, or widower. If married, give'full name of husband or wife, and if a widow or married woman, give maiden name. If married, state whether husband and wife are living together, or whether they are living apart pursuant to decree, order or deed of separation]. 5.' I was born at [Place], in [Country], on the day of IS , and my age last birthday was years. 6. I first arrived in New Zealand on or about the day of , 18 ,by the [Name of ship, and if possible, name of captain]. [If the claimant was born in New Zealand this paragraph may be struck out, or left in blank.] 7. During the period of twenty-five years immediately preceding the date of this my pension claim I have been absent from the colony on [Set out number] occasions only, particulars ■whereof are as follows: [Set out in respect of each occasion the date and port of departure, the ship and destination, and also the date and port of return end the name of the ship]. [If the claimant has not been absent from the colony at all during the twenty-five years he must alter this paragraph to express the fact.] 8. To the best of my knowledge and belief I have fulfilled all the requirements and am exempt .from all the disqualifications under the aforesaid Act up to the date of this my pension claim, and am entitled to a pension. 9. The contents of this my pension claim are true and correct in every material point. • And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand intituled 'The Justices of the Peace Act, 1882.' Declared by the said , at this day of , . I , before me , ' Justice oi the Peace [or _as the case may be, Soli' Claimant. i citor, or Deputy Regisj trar for the Old i Age Pension District, or ; Postmaster at (Name of post town]. !To the Deputy Registrar for. the Old Age Pension District. ■Printed on the back of this form are the sections of the Act setting forth the necessary qualifications for a pension. The forms for the worldng of the Act have not yet been received in Auckland, but notice will be given when they are in the hands of the Deputy-Registrar, from whom they will be obtainable. It is the duty of all Government officials and members of the Police force to assist claimants in the preparation and investigation of their , pension claims. ! Applications can only be made on the printed form, and letters addressed to the Registrar, or any deputy registrar by his official name are exempt from postage. ESTABLISHING AND RECEIVING THE PENSION. The deputy regis-trars, after seeing that any claim is in order Liid recoruing it, forward it to the Stipendiary Magistrate presiding at the court held at the place, within the Old Age Pensions district, which is nearest to the residence of the claimant. A notice will be forwarded the claimant stating the time and place at which he must attend to support his claim. Sworn evidence, or declarations, may be accepted by the investigating magistrate, aod any documentary evidence, whether striccly legal or not. The Esagistrate may also instruct the deputy registrar to inquire into the circumstances of any claim, and for this purpose the deputy registrar has access to the various Government documents calculated to throw light on the ease. No court fees "are payable in connection' 3Vlth ahy J»ro-

ceedings before a magistrate or justices in' the establishment of pension claims.

On receipt of notice from the magistrate that any claim has been proved, it is the duty of the Deputy Registrar to issue a pension certificate, and the pension as fixed by the magistrate becomes payable at the post-office named from the Ist day of the month immediately succeeding the granting of the pension. The monthly instalments arc thereafter payable on presentation of the certificate any time within 21 days after they arc due. The work of establishing claims should be in full swing from the commencement of the New Year.