A COMMUTED PENSION

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1922, Page 9

A COMMUTED PENSION

PITIABLE CASE OF AN IMMIGRANT

REPORT TO BE MADE TO THE HOME AUTHORITIES.

A very large .number* of applications for assistance have recently been received by the Wellington War Eelief Association ' from ex-Imperial soldiers in the Dominion. Each application is dealt with on its merits, and none but deserving cases are favourably consider-

cd. : . ( ■ , • A particularly distressing case was mentioned by the chairman of the association, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, at yesterday's meeting of the body. An ex-Im-perial man who had been badly knocked about, came to Now Zealand under the King's Fund scheme, and now found, himself altogether unable to work at his trade of painting, as that work seriously affected his lungs., He had a wife and four children, and since, he had commuted his pension for £60, in order to buy a house, he had not a penny coming to him. Difficulty had been experienced in getting the man into a hospital, but lie was now receiving treatment at the Wellington Hospital. The case was a very bad one, and it was not expected that the man would live long. Mr. Alex. M'lntosh suggested that the association should endeavour to refund to the fund control the amount received by the man When he commuted his pension, together with interest, in order that the pension should be restored.

The view taken by Mr. O. M. Luke was that the 1 case should be fully reported to the Home authorities, as showing what complications may follow the sending of unfit men to New Zealand. ' At present. the community and the Government were bearing the cost of the man's treatment at the Hospital,, and would perhaps later have to see to it that the widow and children were provided for,. The association, of course, took a humanitarian view of the case, but the' principle of sending really unfit men out was .bad. He moved that full reports of tho case should be forwarded to the English immigration, the King's Fund authorities, and other bodies interested," and that suggestion was approved of by the meeting.