THE OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL ANOTHER NIGHT IN COMMITTEE. IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS MADE.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1898, Page 2

THE OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL ANOTHER NIGHT IN COMMITTEE. IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS MADE.

Consideration of the Old Age Pensions Bill was resumed by the House of Representatives in Committee at 7.30 o'clock last evening. At clause 2, the interpretation clause, Mr. Wason moved an addition providing that no person in possession of more than £50 worthof property should receive a pension. The Premier said that already the Bill provided' that any person who had more than £50 could not get the full pension. It was given on a .sliding scale, the amount of the pension being reduced according to the property held by the pensioner. Any person holding more than £540 worth could not get a pension at all. A lengthy discussion took place on the question of the restriction of the pension. It was claimed by many that either the pension should be universal, or it should be confined to the necessitous poor. The Premier claimed that it was now confined to the deserving necessitous poor. In auswer to this it was argued that any person 65 years of age possessed of £300 could buy a pension of £40 a year for the rest of his life. Surely such a person was not in necessitous circumstances. Eventually Mr. Wason's amendment was negatived on the voices. Mr. Tanner moved to exclude from the definition of income payments made by way of sick or funeral allowance by any friendly society. This would allow-any such sick or funeral allowance to be received iv addition to the pension. Captain Russell moved a<* a prior amendment, to exclude personal earnings from the definition of income. This would allow a person to supplement his pension with any money he might earn by his personal effort. If a man at 65 was able to earn anything he should surely be given the opportunity, and should be encouraged. This amendment was lost by 46 votes to 13. Concerning Mr. Tanner's amendment, the Premier said he desired to work in j harmony with the friendly societies, and would support the amendment. Mr. Taylor said he felt certain that the Premier would soon admit that the Bill was only an extension of the system of charitable aid. This being so, it could be given effect to without the creation of a tremendously expensive department such as it was proposed to create under the Bill. Mr. Pirani wanted to know why an allowance from a friendly society should be treated differently from any other allowance. To belong to a friendly society required means to pay the fees. Mr. Tanner's amendment was carried by 46 to 13 votes. Mr. Smith moved to strike out the clause, in order to test the question of whether the Bill should be an Old Age Pensions Bill or a Bill extending the system of charitable aid. This was negatived by 32 to 26, and clause 2 was passed.

At clause 3, proving for the colony being divided into pension districts by the Gover- ' nor, Mr. Massey moved to substitute for this the words " the colony shall be divided into districts whose boundaries shall be coterminous with those of existing municipalities, counties, and road districts where the Counties Act is not in force." The Premier objected to this on the ground that it would make the local authorities the controlling power of the administration of the Act. It also meant dividing the colony into about 200 districts. Mr. Taylor supported the amendment, because he objected to the creation of a new and costly department to administer the Act. The Premier said that to work the scheme as now mapped out would not cost the colony more than £500 a year. The districts proposed by the Government were about 60 in number, and Mere so arranged as to allow the work to be dove by postmasters and Clerks of the Court. Mr. Duthie objected to this extra work being put on to officers who already had plenty to do. Mr. Massey's amendment was negatived by 31 to 27 votes. - Clauses 4, 5, and 6, dealing with the appointment of Registrars and DeputyRegistrars and their duties, were agreed to without discussion. At clause 7, providing that pensions would be for the rest of life, Mr. Montgomery moved to strike out the words " rest of his life " as creating a vested interest. Mr. Wason moved a prior amendment to confine the pensions to born New Zealanders and persons resident iv New Zealand prior to the passage of the Act. The Premier said he could not accept either amendment. , Several , members warmly supported Mr. Wason's amendment, but on division it was negatived by 33 to 21. Referring to Mr. Montgomery's amendment, the Premier said that if this was carried no pensions could be paid at all. This was the advice of the Crown Law officers. ; This statement was ridiculed by the lawyers of the House. On division, Mr. Montgomery's amendment was carried by 29 to 27, and the clause passed. The Premier announced that he would later move to reinstate the words, because thej r l'fially were necessary. When members had obtained legal advice they would see that this was so. Progress was then reported, and the House rose at 1.25 a.m.