MINERS' PHTHISIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 184, 6 August 1925, Page 16

MINERS' PHTHISIS.

EFFECT OF ANOMALIES IN ACT

PETITIONS TO PARLIAMENT,'

By Telegrsph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

Some of the anomalies in the Pensions Act referred to recently in Parliament during the debatee on a Miners Phthisis Bill were referred to in some petitions presented to the House of Representatives. ' " One petition, presented by Mr. Parry, was from an elderly widow, Jane Be'rrinian, whose husband died at the Costley Home. Petitioner stated that. Dr. Walsh, of Auckland, certified in 1922 that her husband was suffering from miners' phthisis to the degree of incapacity, and Dr. Walsh stated afterwards that he had no hesitation in de- ' claring that miners' phthisis was a contributing cause of Mr. Berriman's death. This 'notwithstanding, the widow was not entitled to a pension, because her husband's death was attributed to "arterio sclerosis and cerebral hemmorhage." Claiming that her husband's death was greatly contributed to and hastened by miners' phthisis, the widow claimed a compassionate allowance, as s hewas practically destitute. In a second petition, presented by Mr. Poland, John Frederick Dike,. of St. Kilda, Melbourne, stated that he had been a recipient of the miners' phthisis pension, but in 1921, acting on his doctor's advice, he obtained permission from the Pensions Department and went to Australia for the benefit of his health. For two years he received his pension, but last year he received none. He returned to New Zealand in November last, and had his pension Testored, but again becoming very ill, he,applied for permission to return to Australia fo,r two years, the Pensions Department agreeing to allow him to go and to continue the pension. After leaving, it was found that the pension could not legally be paid him for the second period of two years, and he had since received *>« pension, though he would not have gone away again but for the fact that the pension - had' been promised. He expended £50 on passage money alone for wife and family to Australia, and was now in Melbourne, utterly destitute, and dependent on charity. He asked, therefore, for the restoration of the pension from the date of stoppage, and such further relief as Parliament might grant. ,