WAR PENSIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 131, 30 November 1933, Page 13

WAR PENSIONS

REQUEST FOR ACTION

WIDENING OF ACT

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE

The necessity for widening the scope of the War Pensions Act with the object of enabling its benefits to be received by returned soldiers, who, though unable to prove that their, failing health was due to war Service, were finding that the strain of the war years was telling on their health," was stressed in the House of Representatives yesterday • afternoon when the Defence Committee reported on die War Pensions Amendment Bill introduced by Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn). The Committee's report was that as the Bill in its present form could not proceed under the Standing Orders (because it involved appropriation), the subject matter, with the evidence, be referred to the Government with a request for some investigation and action.

The Committee also reported on. a petition for a pension or compassionate allowance in respect of a war disability, and in recommending that it be given favourable consideration stated that it was of tho opinion .that the time had arrived when the increasing unemployability and sickness of returned soldiers ■necessitated an inquiry with, a view to further liberalisation of the War Pensions Act.

In presenting the Committee's report, Mr. H. Gr. Dickie (chairman) said that New Zealand was facing a problem which every country which participated in the Tvai- had to face, and. though-'in some countries political action had been -taken to help those who had fallen down in health, in other countries the men had been helped from, public subscriptions and by other methods. In the action taken by. it, the Committee had the full concurrence of Mr. Lee, the promoter of the BilL Evidence was taken from, the Returned. Soldiers' Association and the South African Veterans' Association, and.the views of those bodies were very helpful.

OUTSIDE THE LEGISLATION.

"I think that all returned soldiers and the public generally in New Zealand are seized with the fact that we have a, great number of men who are outside the scope of our present pension legislation, but - who generally require assistance," said Mr. Dickie. He went on to point' out that the' present economic troublo had had the effect of aggravating the returned men's worries, and as they felt the combined effects of those'troubles and their war experiences, thero was an ever increasing 'number of petitions before • the House.

In Canada, there was veterans' legislation, but it was more «r less on. the. basis of an old age pension, as a, man had to be 60 years of ago before he could receive any benefit from, it. Today in New Zealand there were many young men breaking down in health. He contended that the older men who had seen service had really sacrificed less, as they did not have to carve out a. future for themselves after they returned. It would bo found that many of the younger men who could not Qualify Tinder-the ago limit scheme of Canada we're breaking down in health,! and it was felt that something should foe done for them. The limitation respecting the application foi a pension had been done away with,' the seven years' bar no longer applying. However, although a man could apply for a pension any number of years after his discharge, the longer he waited the more difficult it was for him to prove attributability. It had also to be remembered that widows who had married two years after a man had received- his discharge were out of the scope of the Act, and Mr. Dickie submitted that in this respect the Act should' be widened.

' ATTRIBUTABILITY,

Dealing with, the difficulty of, men proving attributability, Mr. Dickie said that in Britain the British Legion had established a fund to help soldiers who were breaking down a*nd who were unable to prove attributability. However, those men had .to be 50 years of age before they cpuld receive any benefit from the scheme, and they only received 10s a week. \ The Defence Committee felt that the time, had arrived when the matter should be further investigated. There was the report of the Barton Committee, a. committee consisting of Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., Mr. S. J. Harrison (secretary of the New Zealand- Returned Soldiers' Association), and the late Sir John Luke, and that report could very well be considered with the Canadian Bill, It was intended to lay all the matter on the table of the House. The Leader of the Opposition {Mr. M. J. Savage) said he thought that the promoter of the Bill and the Committee. should.be congratulated on the report. The problem which the Committed had investigated was one that had been' dragging, more or less, for a number of years, and he agreed with Mr. Dickie in the views .that had been expressed about the health of the young men. They sacrificed their health and their main chance in life. It was most difficult to prove attributability. It could not be argued that any man who went to the Front was as good when he returned as when he had gone away. When many of these men were found in their present circumstances it seemed that a gpod case had been made out for the Bill. He trusted that the Minister of Pensions would take particular notice of the Bill, and that he would leave no stone unturned to see that justice was done to all those who had sacrificed everything they had and who j now found themselves in a difficult posi- * tion.

HELP TOE MEN AND WOMEN.

. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier) said that in coming to its decision thej Committee had been 'animated by the desire to do what the soldiers would call "a fair thing" for a large number of men, and women too, for whom there ■was no provision under the pensions law as it stood today. The Committee toped that the Government would consider the Bill and the evidence that had been given. The statement made by Mr. W. Perry, on behalf of the .i"C--w Zealand Keturned Soldiers' Association, had been very carefully drawn up. In it it was shown that the Eeturned Soldiers' Association realised tho practical difficulties that had to be faced, but at the same time., they pointed out ways in which the problem might be ■ satisfactorily met. The Committee desired that the Government should investigate the whole matter sympathetically with, the v\ew to action being taken.

Mr. Lee said he wished to thank the returned soldiers for the manner in which they had made statements. If the Government took any steps in the direction the Committee advocated, he felt that the Prime Minister would have the entire support o,f Hie House. With only two exceptions," the Defence Committee was composed of returned men, and they gay* short shrift to anyone who did not have a good catfe. But Jhis was the jgreseAt difficulty^ iadi-

viduals had a case, but not a case ■within the law, and the Committee felt that the law should be extended. It was felt that the times had, arrived when a new attitude should be adopted towards the returned men. Members felt that all was not being done for the man who today was "cracking up."

NO REDRESS FOR WIDOWS,

Mr. J. Hargest (Government, Invercargill)' said he would like to thank the chairman of the Committee for' the able manner in which he had put the recommendations beforo the House. It was obvious that the members of the Committee were seized with the importance of the returned soldier question. There was another important-as-pect of the case, and that related to the returned man who had waited a while after tho war, and then, believing that he had not suffered from the effects of his service, had married, only to find his health breaking down later. The widows of such men had no redress whatever. He hoped the Government would waive the two years' limitation clause. Those persons who wero suffering in that manner were the responsibility of the country. Mr. TA. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) said ho would like to know the Minister's views on the matter.

The Minister of Pensions (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe): I was one of the Committee.

Mr. Cobbe gave an assurance that the matter would be very fully investigated. . The Committee's report was agreed to. :