CHALLENGE REPEATED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 78, 29 September 1938, Page 24

CHALLENGE REPEATED

"The Government has not restored the full cut to disabled soldiers in receipt of the economic pension," stated Mr. D. P. Howlett, National candidate for Wellington South; when speaking at Ohiro Bay last evening, "and I want to repeat the challenge to the Prime Minister and his Government which I made at an- earlier meeting, to prove that they have" restored all cuts to the 1931 level; Since that challenge was issued it hljis been stated by a Governmtent^memtjer that the economic pension .has been restored to 30s a week. I want>to say that thtat is not true, and I repeat that^Ehe disabled soldiers in f ecei£t of thei economic pension are still 5s short of what they received ih i 931." -' Mr. Howlett explained that in 1631 the economic pension"was^ 30s, and the Coalition Government reduced it .to 21s, later raising it to 22s 7d. TJhe Labour Government had raised it*to 255, and there it remained today. A voice: It was cut by Forbes. ' Mr. Hewlett: Yes; and when the pensions Were' cut there was no- squeal from the returned soldier; he realised that it was necessary. There is, how- % ever, a danger of the present pensions system collapsing altogether as a result of the Social Security Act. "It is true," the speaker added;,"as h&s been said,, that the returned 'soldier in-New Zealand receives better treatment than those of other lands—their conditions were arranged by the previous Government—butl so far as the economic pension is concerned, it is-riot true to say it has been Testored' to 30s. I will go on repeating my challenge on this point until I receive a satisfactory reply from the Prime Minisjer and rhis.Government." ". '•;