SOLDIERS' WIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 16

SOLDIERS' WIVES.

PENSION PROVISIONS. BUDGET LEGISLATION. CONDITIONS OF MARRIAGE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The War Pension* Amendment Bill, the fist instalment of legislation arising out of the Budget, was introduced into the House of Representatives last night. Tho principal objcct of the bill is to provide that a woman who married a returned soldier within seven years of his discharge from the forces should bo eligible for a pension. Under the existing law a widow who married more than two years after her husband's discharge is not entitled to a war widow's pension even though the death of her husband may have been the direct result of war service. Under the terms of the bill tho two years' limitation is removed, and for pension purposes recognition is given to any marriage contracted within seven years of the husband's discharge, subject to safeguards in connection with what is usually known, as "death-bed marriages." The term "dependent" is made to include the following provisions: (a) A returned soldier's wife by a marriage subsisting at tho date of his death or disablement; (b) a returned soldier's wife by a marriage taking place subsequent to the date of his disablement, but within seven years after the date of his discharge; (c) a returned soldier's child born before or after the date of his death or disablement and being issue of the marriage under the terms of (a) and (b); (d) any other member of a returned soldier's family who was wholly or in part dependent upon his earnings at any time within a period of twelve months immediately preceding the date upon which he became a member of the forces.

A woman whoso marriage to a member of the forces took place after the date of his discharge is not to be entitled to a pension if (a) the death of the member occurred within one year after the date of his marriage, and* (b) at the date of his marriage the member had not in the opinion of the War Tensions Board reasonable expectation of surviving for at least one year after his marriage. Provision is also made iij the bill enabling pensions to be granted to dependents of members of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Patrol (Motor Boat Patrol) raised in New Zealand durin" the war under the same conditions as pensions to dependents of ex-members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. The existing law does not permit of payment of pensions to such dependents except to supplement pensions granted by. the Imperial Govern- j inqnt. I