WAR PENSIONS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 83, 5 October 1922, Page 5

WAR PENSIONS

INQUIRY BY COMMISSION

EX-SOLDIERS' DISABILITIES.

The inquiry into theV. Working of the existing legislation .with respect, to war ■pensions and the scales of pension at present being paid was continued yesterday afternoon. The chairman, Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, presided, and the other members of the committee were Mr. A. Macintosh and Colonel.W. H. S. Mooxhouse. Mr. D; S. Smith and Mr. D. J. B. Seymour conducted the .case for the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association.

Alexander F. Boberts, a director of Murray Roberts and Company, considered that the permanently Usabled man should be entitled as a right to at least as much as the unskilled labourer earns. Employers-were in ar unfortunate position in regard to ,the employment , of such men, but generally he thought they would regard the claims made by the R.S.A. as reasonable. The soldier's widow should be provided with sufficient to enable her to give her children a proper upbringing 33 long as they were dependent upon her. Widowed mothers should be given sufficient to allow them to live in reasonable circumstances.

Mr. A. Gray, K.C., agreed with the previous witness's opinion as to the minimum pension payable to disabled men, and also considered widows were entitled to something more than they were getting. Reductions might be made in the case of the widow who was in receipt of a private income. William Perry, solicitor, gave evidence in regard to the disability imposed by fche loss of aright arm. . . Colonel , J.* Pow, secretary of the N.Z.R.S.A., said that in all cases that had come under his notice he considered the requests of the ex-soldiers were quite reasonable. The Court adjourned until to-day.