SOLDIERS' PENSIONS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17855, 30 August 1923, Page 12

SOLDIERS' PENSIONS.

NEW LEGISLATION EXPLAINED.

A general meeting of members of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association was held in the Jellicoe Hall last night, when Mr W. E. Leadley, secretary, explained the provisions of the War Pensions Act Amendment Bill. Professor H. Stewart (president) was in the chair, and there were several ladies included in an attendance of about 200. Mr Leadley said tliat the War Pensions Commission was appointed as a result of the agitation ot the K.b.A. for a 75 per cent, increase in pensions. The report of the Commission was most sympathetic, and the thanks of returned soldiers all over the Dominion was due to the personnel of the Commission. The granting of the economic pension of 30ai a week would benefit hundreds of soldiers who could not get a supplementary pension. Provision had been made for a widow with one child for a pension of £3 a week; with two children, £3 12s 6d a week. A widowed mother who was totally dependent on a son who was killedj had been provided with an economic pension of £1 a week, making the total pension £2 10s. Partially dependent widowed mothers would, under the new legislation, receive a pension up to £1 15s a week. A pension to a child could be continued until education was completed. Clothing allowances had been fixed at £8 a year for men with amputations above the knee, and at £6 a year for men with amputations below the " knee. No clothing allowanoe would be made to armless men. The most important provision t>f the Bill from the Association's point' of view, continued the speaker, was the appointment of the War Pensions Appeal Board of three memßers, including one representative of the R.S.A. This Board could consider an appeal which had been rejected within the two previous years, and, at its own discretion, could grant retrospective pension. Mr Leadley said that the executive of the New Zealand R.S.A. had gone through the whole of the provisions of the Bill, clause by clause, and had come to the unanimous opinion that it was a splendid pieoe of legislation. There were minor adjustments necessary, but it was confidently hoped that these could be effected'. Numerous questions were asked and answered on the subject. Mr G. W. Lloyd expressed regret at the apathy of returned'soldiers. For twelve months they had been looKfig forward to the pension increases and he was disappointed at the sm£ll attendance at that meeting. He appealed to returned men to support the Association, if not for their own Bakes, for the sakes of those men and dependents not so fortunate. He moved that Mr Leadley be accorded the thanks of the Association for the work he had done for soldiers and pensioners generally. The motion was carrie'd with acclamation.

The following resolution, moved by Mr W. Cu»imings, t ' was adopted:— "This general meeting of war pensioners expresses its appreciation of the work of the Returned Soldiers' Association in endeavouring to secure Increased pensions ror Dadly disaETeS soldiers, soldiers' widows, and wSJowed mothers. It also recognises that the Government had made an attempt in the War Pensions Amendment Bill to accede to several of the claims of the Association, and it expresses its confidence in the executive of the R.S.A. to continue the negotiations with the Government and trusts that, as a result, several anomalies which at present appear in the Bill, will be satisfactorily adjusted." The chairman said that tßey would agree that New Zealand had treated its soldiers "better than any, other country in the British Empire. He thought it would be the right thing to send a message to the head of the Government thanking him for his efforts on behalf of returned soldiers. He had pleasure in moving from the chair, that a wireless message be aespatcheq to Mr Massey expressing thanks and appreciation of the provisions of. the new legislation. The motion was carried with acclamation;