The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1904.

Evening Star, Issue 12258, 27 July 1904, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1904.

jt will be remembered that in the Financial Statement mention was OM Aee made of a new and more l'eniions. stringent system of investigation 1 , by means of which Iho expenditure of tho Old Age Pensions J-'epnrtinent hud been considerably curtailed. Tho (sixth annual report of tho Department, recently presented to Parliament by tho Registrar (Mr J. Eman Smith), shows WWlusively that tho improved mglhods of

/ win not adopted a day too soon. ~ ibo part of the report devoted to

; ';.-, special matter makes very unpleasant u.miin«--save in so far as it is satisfactory {.? J:t:.>w that steps havi- been taken to rectify a mischievous state of affair?. Even , heforo th-, date of the previous report the j prevalence of abuses had been partially J brought to light, and something had been • effected iu the way of reform; but the I Registrar confess that at that time he j was not aware of the full extent to wliich tho department had been deceived and victimised. "To say that there lias been con- \ "siderablc misstatement of their true positions by claimants in the past is but to "state the ease mildly, and the extent of " tho imposition practised and the amounts ["obtained by unscrupulous, persons is i "almost incredible." Mr Smith mav well add that, the now safeguards are " necessary j "to prevent tho darker side of human naj " ture having play." Tho reformed method | provides for tho holding of preliminarv in- ; quirics, so that tho statements of all claim--1 ants may bo verified before tho claims are ■ brought l>ef(iro tho stipendiary magistrate. I By this means the time of the magistrate j is saved, seeing that he is only asked to deal with cases in which a prima facie title to a pension has already been established: and (a more important consideration) the thorough effectiveness of the investigation is practically assured. Hundreds of pen- ! sions—to be exact, no less than 1,312 — have bciu cancelled during «,ho last two i years—fir the most part in consequence of the exposure) of "misstatements." Some people will be inclined to nso less eupheinistie language in characterising theso i wholesale abuses. Moreover, there is rcaj son to belhvc that the discoveries are not yet complete. In the course of the year ; the Registrar's attention was specially . directed to "the-quest ion of age" in con- , ncction with tho issue of pensions. This is • more ditfbntlt to investigate than the question of property. "It was not long before "it became abundantly clear that a large ''percentage of tho applicants coming forward were not eligible on the score of '' ago, and it has yet to be learned to what i "extent the provisions of the law re- ; "garding this most important qualification " have been taken advantage of in tho past." The original Act contained no effective provision for corroboration of statements regarding the age of claimants, and dependence has been largely placed on the sworn declarations of persons holding responsible positions in the community. And this is what the Registrar has to say concerning the reliability of this form of testimony : '" T very much regret to have *o state that " those self-same declarations (and this "applies to declarations made in regard to ; "other important matters affecting thceligi- ", k; !it -r ° f clairnalll -«) have, from the point , " of view of correctness, been proved to be . "absolutely valueless." It is to bo hoped that this official remark will bring a blush j U" shame to the faces of some of thoso j '" persons holding responsible positions " who have allowed a weak complaisancy (or some. less worthy motive) to get the better of their sense of responsibility and respect for truth. It may do them good to know that ; their names aro known to tho Department, j It has actually been discovered during the , pn'ii year that pensions have been drawu j " iur years " by people who have not even j yet reached the required age! Truly it is I a suggestive chapter in tho history of | elderly human nature. However, improved methods of investigation have been adopted m this matter, as in others, and we heartily echo the Registrar's expression of hope that he may be able to state that all the I<ci:ak;ncrs on the roll are eligible in point jof age. Mr Arnold recently complained j (in conversation with our parliamentary corI lespondent) that the new system o'f inquiry entailed hardship upon claimants, but tho Registrar declares emphatically (and with apparent reason) that "there is ua •' hardship whatever to those . properly "qualified." This view is endorsed by Or M'Arthur, tho stipendiary magistrate at Wellington, who observes that "no genuine "applicant has anything to fear from the "inquiries that are made." The new stringency may press heavily upon people of sixty who have been in the habit of swearing that they aro past sixty-five, and upon Uw friend.s who have encouraged and a'--2ftcd the fraud; but that is a reflection which need not detain us. Mr .Smith sums up the issue in a final paragraph which wc ihaii quote in full: If an old age pension scheme is to be I successfully canied out sentiment must

net bo allowed to play any part in it. The legislature has made law a, 1m

ciMio scheme whereby all deserving roUiists in New Zealand possessing" the nuvessary qualifications shall bo ehtitlcd as a right to a pension during their declining yens. These should and do receive even- consideration.

.-distance, and kindness when they ir.ako application for a pension and afterwards; but tliey must bo protected from tho undeserving, who, by moans of misrepresentation and fraud", whether it be by their own action or at tho instigation of others (and I think tha latter is more responsible than tlio former), procure or attempt to procure a. pension to which bv law they aro not entitled. It is this'hvtter class that has been dealt with in a manner that may appear harsh, hut it should be remembered that such action was abs'v-lul-ely necessary to act a.s' a warning to others who might contemplate doinp; the same thing.' and to protect our o.es3rvmg aged as well as tho public pnrw.

Tn conclusion, we aro dirmoscd to thinkthat the time has come for Ministers and Parliament to consider the question whether the umoant of tho pension might not be increased. Tho cost of living is greater than it was seven years ago; meat, bread milk, rnd other articles have risen in price: whereas the financial prosperity of the Colony is undoubted and apparently

stable. The full amount of the pension in New South Wales is £26; in New Zealand 1* is £lB. So far the cost to the Consolidated Fund has kept within the limits of Mr Seddon's prediction, and though tho Registrar says that an increase must be looked for—tho number of new pensioners each year being larger than the number of deaths—still, we venture to suggest that the financial state and prospects of tho Colony would warrant an extra grant of two or three shillings to the poor old pensioners. This is not a- matter of sentiment, save in so far as the system itself is based on sentimental considerations. The object of Parliament was to provide at least the bare means of decent subsistence for needy veterans who had passed sixty-five years of age. Does a grant of £lB a year realise this object at the present time?' Wo think not.