THE HON. JAMES ALLEN.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15269, 4 May 1915, Page 6

THE HON. JAMES ALLEN.

— ' " SHORT SESSION PREDICTED, *

PENSIONS SCHEME TO BE -' ■ LIBERALISED. The Hon. J. Allen. Min_*ter of D* fence, passed through Christchurch ]aa evening on his way ireiu I)un«fin fc • Wellington, where he will resume ]& ; departmental duties. Hi*. n ra t visit South (supposing 11,» other event arises in tho meantime) will he m.ulo on Jom, Bth. when h->. Exccthuu.-. the Governor' will visit Dune-Jin m mdrr to lav tHa foundation .stone of the uew Anglic,," Cathedra' there. Interview,-! I.v a -I'-W represenia.'- "' tivo last evening, Mr Aden said $a\ "' ho did not think tho coming session et -'> Parliament would be .1 very loug one. In the summer month.- of Europe, the war would bo waged furiously and with the casualty lists ~f the New Zealand forces possibly cumin- j n regularly '" there would, ho thought, bo very Uttk heart in the country for the discussion of local polities on familiar lines. There wero certain things that Parliament must do, but beyond these ho did notknow that anything much would be attempted. The main things he had fa mind were the war loan, tho was tax revision of the pensions and tho re** guild* financial measures.

PENSIONS? FOR DEPENDENTS.

Questioned particular.}* about tie' pensions scheme for the widows and dependent* of soldiers, Air Allen sad that ho had all along thougnt it was not good enough, and he personally thought it Ahould bo liberalised. Ia every spore moment he had been working upon it to that end, and ho would have an amending measure to submit - to tho House. Asked if the allowance which a soldier had left to his wife or nearest dependent ceased immediately upon tio Soulier's death, the Minister replied that of course tho mans pay ceased and automatically tho allowance should' ccaso also. The practice, however, had. not been formalised as yet because tho .scheme cou.d not immediately be put in perfect order. In one or two cases the Department had continued the allowance made to dependents, and was prepared to continue it, up to twenty-sis weeks in order to allow tho soldier's pension to bo drawn upon. This pension was provided for in tbo Defence Act of 1909. On its being pointed out that this provided a pension of £30 and that tho Widows' Pensions, Act | provided a pension of £3l>, tho Minister -, said lie did not think ono person would J be allowed to draw the two pensions. Parliament in its coming session would, j howover, go fully into tho whole matter and put the pensions cchemo upon a . i basis in conformity with the experience ' of tho Old Land. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS. On tho question of facilitating the medical examination of recruits by allowing ordinary doctors to pass-men . at other than tho regular weekly examination, tho Minister said that there ' . was no necessity for this. There was . no reason, if recruits would only obey instructions, why any delay or loss work .should,be occasioned. Oq a man' registering himself he had nothing -'.. moro to do till the Department advised liim of tho day for examination by the doctor. No recruit should.leave work i when ho had merely reg*6torod his na«e. i Once ho had registered, and tho TH-- j partment had hi,s name, his caeo was u*j their hands, and all tho rocruit had to. do was to obey instructions. For this __. reason, therefore, there was no ©cca-t- - : sion for tho sen-ices of general pra*> '■ titioners to be utilised. ASSISTING RECRUITING. The Minister said lie was glad' to hear of the assistance being rendered. - to recruiting by the Citizens' Defenco ■'- Corps of Christchurch. by a room beingopened. This had been dond in Dun-' • cdin some months ago. The Departmeot -'.'.' was grateful for all such assistance, and..-, would help as far 7as it could. __>«• ' was no reason why all the big centra.. should not follow out this course. GoW . onol Porter had suggested that the Na--tional Reserve or Citizens' Defence Corpin in oach-6f the big centres should bo ashed to sunplv 500 men from tio-F" -A own ranks "I don't &ay this CB-V' be done." ' said Mr Allen, "but. mf * t ' course, if it could we would bo glad tp" have them." ' . \'."':"/_ "Will you extend the age !»mit."_tf_j -' aIW that?" asked the reporter. 'V"No. not *.t present"," returned tha. . Minister, smiling. T- further conversation. Mr All«t>-; said that he ; hod no doubt ibaf.wf ; -' hews from tho Dirdanclles "would _h_n» ', i>, stimulating effect upon Tecni-ting* _-: % although, -of course, j-o far he had ■**-;■_':; ofiicial returns unnn the subject. *" '; BADGES FOR itEJS'.rS. _, ' ' f "Would it bo possible to give v?inD* ' *, teera who aro rejected as medicadj vf- ■ " fit a badge or certificate, as someg_* r * ". antee of their willingness to go?" v~* , a question put to the Minister. -■' ""Well," he replied, "I made that - suggestion myself norao timo ago, bo*, there are many difficulties in the way - of a successful application of tbo «j*M». You see. if a man wears tho badije'ho* J. proclaiming himself medically unfit, aad ' very few men', would really liko to bear . that badee, would they? Tlicn, putting that a«ide, trafficking in the badge* -- would be sure to arise, and tbis you!- . lead to the system being abused. As** ,- a ' certificate which could be produced" being civen. I think this would bo ©"- very little use. The idea sound* T_rT well at first, but when you look into » a lot of difficulties present themselves-