NOW OR NEVER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 310, 30 December 1915, Page 6

NOW OR NEVER.

1 — - VETERANS AND A PENSION j GRIEVANCE. i t WANT OLD AGE ALLOWANCE I BEFORE THEY DIE. i A race between the slow-grinding mills r of legislation and death is taking place in- regard to a pension grievance of the veterans of the Maori war. The veterans ' declare that if the Government is pre- , pared to concede that they are entitled to the military pension in addition to the old age pension, instead of merely tiic . former, legislation had better get a . hustle on before the claimants are all dead. - 1 A plea on behalf of the veterans was \ entered by a deputation which, headed I by Mr J. S. Dickson. MJ>., waited upon , the Prime Minister at the Grand Hotel this morning. The case put before Mr Massey was that : the veterans, having fought for their ■ country, were entitled to the old age pension as well as the military allowance, and that practically the whole of the military pension was absorbed by their 1 board at the Veterans' Home "or the Costley Home. The deputation urged that legislation should be brought down l early next session to validate the granting of the double pension, and pointed • out that the Petitions Committee had favourably recommended on the petition I framed by the veterans last year. Empbasisins the fact that the "concession could only be beneficial if granted quickly, the deputation drew the Prime Minister's attention to the fact that no fewer than eight of the Auckland Vcti erans who signed the petition had died since attaching their signatures. Their , ages ranged from 76 to S9 and aver- ! aged SO. ; The Prime Minister replied that he ! would submit the representation to the ; Cabinet prior to next session, and " pointed out that if any change were : made special legislation would be " necessary.