INCREASE IN WAR PENSIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27191, 7 November 1953, Page 2

INCREASE IN WAR PENSIONS

CLAIMS BY N.Z.R.S.A.

“The New Zealand Returned Services’ Association intends to continue to press for an increase of 10s a week in the basic war pension,” said the Canterbury district president of the* association (Mr D. Barrett), who has' just returned from Wellington after attending a meeting of the Dominion executive committee of the association. “To date no decision has been given by the Government on the application for an increase of 15s a week in the war veterans’ allowance,” he said.

“We have said several times and we repeat that our cliams are just and reasonable and that eventually the Government much recognise their validity,” Mr Barrett said. “During the last week in Wellington I have spoken to men and women with all shades of political views and all agree that we have been very modest with our claims.

“We in Canterbury do hot agree with nor would we support the suggestions of the North Island Associations that we should stage a march on Parliament. But we would strongly urge all former servicemen and servicewomen to continue to protest until this injustice in pensions is rectified,” he said.

“In 1947-48 some members of the present Government, who were then in opposition, moved, as a pretest, to reduce by £5 the war pensions estimates, as the Labour Government had failed to increase the basic war pension by £1 a week. Today these same members are silent, and we wonder why.” Mr Barrett said. “All returned servicemen and servicewomen owe a deep debt of gratitude to Mr J. C. White, chairman of the N.Z.R.S.A. Pensions Sub-commit-tee. During the last four years he has rendered splendid services in this connexion,*” Mr Barrett concluded.