WAR PENSIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 15968, 23 November 1915, Page 8

WAR PENSIONS.

MATTKRS OF ADMINISTBATIOX

[Special to the ' Star.']

WELLINGTON'. November 25.

i The fa-ii-iy outspoken criticism to which tlie AVar Pen-ions Board were subjected ; at la-t week's conference ot the. patriotic j societies is like!y to have a good effect. ! The ipirstion i, one of administration i rather than of legislation as far m it ;if- | K-cts the majority of the* cases, the powers given to the h:>,ird widei' the .Act'taint* wide, and Ministers have taken iuLion already with the object of ensuring that the. law shall be interpreted in a liberal spirit. The ea-o of the parents of the late Captain r'raudi. for example, is to he re\ iewed by the board. This was the L-a.se where a niuther, aged 75 years., and a lather, aged 8:> vein-, both in receipt ot old au'e pensions, were refused the 'war pension, on the ground that a married sister on'•ditto be able to contribute something towards their support now that their suifbail died in Uullipo!:. It may be mentioned, in justice to the board, that- they have to be cm guard against applications Horn persons who, under the Act, had no ri»ht to a pension at all. There was. the ca.-.e of a widow who applied for a pension, though possessed of very ample private means. The Tensions Act cle-arlv debarred her from receiving anything at all. but- applications of this."kind are few ill number, and the- indications ato that the board _wiil try in future to err on the side of generosity when they must err at all. The Pensions Board cannot go outside tho Act. and some of the* member.- of tho House of Representative.-- would like to see a special session called to make certain amendments in the Jaw. Tiiev admit frankly they did not understand the workin'- of the scheme clearly when it was before Parliament during the recent session. A Wellington member i, eireularisinj members throughout the Dominion with a. view to securing their views on the point. Among the reforms slighted are tne removal of maximum from the schedules, so that a disabled soldier or widow will receive an allowance of 5s weekiv for every cliild. regardless of number: the payment ot pension regardless of anv sum that a widow may receive from her husband's life insurance policy; and the liberalism' ot regulations at several points. It rnav ne said fairly conh'denUv that no spec-nil session of Parliament will he. called for '■onsicleration of war pensions. if there should bo a. special session before the usual time next vear the certainly would be found in the re-cruUim,-question.