WAR PENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1917, Page 3

WAR PENSIONS

—■■ GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS. INCREASES DETAILED. LIBERALISING OF THE SCHEME. lliy Electric Telegraph—. Special to "Star."; WELLINGTON, This Day. The schedules which constitute the most important- feature of the War Pension* Bill show a tendency to a domocialisalioii of pensions. There is an all-iouucl increase of os weekly in death and total disablement pension of all raiiiks. lue ditleiential treatment of privates, and non-com-missioned officers, is aimlished in lavor of a general rate <H L2 weekly j’or total disablement, with LI to the wife, the latter re|vesen( mg in the case of privates a 7s (id increase. The children's rate iemain s . at 7s (Id fur every rank and rating. death schedules. The weekly rates of pension in the case of death are: BANK OR RATING. Private, bombardier, lance-corporal, trooper, gunner, driver, sapper, trumpeter, able seaman and equivalent ratings--wife without child. LI ids. with child or children .L2. Corporal. farrier, shoeing-smith, saddler or litter (if bombardier, lance corporal, gunner, private, lance-sergt. not paid a s such), leading seaman and equivalent ratings -L2 Us, L_ It'S'. Sergeant, farrier, corporal, shoeingsmitli. corporal, saddler, corporal, corporal litter, farrier. sergeant saddler, sergeant armorer, sergeant, sergeant litter, lance-sergeant _ (paid as such), petty officer and equivalent mting- LI 12s, L2 2s. Squadron, battery, or company sergt. -major quartermaster sergeant, culm- sergeant. stall sergeant, pay clerk chief petty officer, and equivalent ratings—Ll 11s, .L2 Is. Regimental sergt.-major, regimental quartermaster sergeant, warrant, r,.iieer and equivalent ranks (navy) LI Jos, .L2 os. 2nd lieutenant, lieutenant (army), commissioned warrant and equivalent ranks. snh-lientenant and equivalent ranks (navy) —L2 os. L2 I os. Captain (armv). lieutenant under 8 vears seniority, and equivalent ranks (navy)—L2 lbs, £■). Majnr. lieutenant bf 8 years’ seniority or equivalent ranks (navy) ■£’_ I 7S' L's 7s. Lieut.-colonel, captain under three years’ seniority and equivalent yanks, .1 I . .. . i i i Imfl t I*! 1 I 1 iv O'

commanders and equivalent <am\s vv) —£•'! Gs, id! ]Gs. Colonel, captain of three years ~ ni'irilv and equivalent ranks (navy) . . r:; Ss, ,£ll IPs. Hrigadier-genenil, major-general, con in a idi ires (lirs-1 and Mecnnd class), rear-admiral and other equivalent ranks—£G 10s, M. The allowance to each chdit weekly is 7s Gd in all cases. disaulkmk.nt hates. Pensions: in ease of disablement are as follows:HANK. Private and all non-commissioned ranks and naval raliings:, to memhei wteklv £’J, to wife weekly Xl. ■Jnd-lieuU'iiant, lienlenani (arm}), commissioned warrant otlicer and iqnivalent ranks, rad) lieutenant atari equivalent ranks (navy) L'J '1 s Gd, 11 Is •'hi. , :a,in (army), lieutenant under d years’ seniority and equivalent ranks vy) £■-’ OS, XI -si Gd. Major, lieutenant of S years seniority and equivalent ranks (navy) --XJ lid, XI Gs. Lieut.-colonel, captain under thiee years’ seniority and equivalent ranks, commanders and equivalent ranks (navy) —Xd Is, XI Ids Gd. Colonel, captain of three years’ seniortiy and equivalent ranks (navy) - £d .'is, XI Its (id. Bngadier-general, major-general, commnclnres (lirst ami second class), icar-admiral, and other equivalent ranks —X-’! os, £1 1-s Gd. The allowance to each child is 7s Gd weekly in till cases.

SPECIFIC INJURIES. The third schedule sets out ratio of pension to the full pension payable in eases of total disablement, asi tollowsi: Lnsis of two limbs, limb and eye, both hands, all fingers and thumbs, both feet, band and foot sight, total paralysis, lunacy, permanently bedridden, wounds, or injuries to head or other organ involving total disabling effects, advanced incurable disease,

very .serious facial clisfijjurenieiit--100 per cent. Amputation of right arm through slimilder joint, amputation of tea: through hip joint— Bs per cent. Loss of speech. severe, facial disfigurement, amputation of left arm through shoulder joint, amputation oj

TELEGRAMS

no-fit arm at or above el bo w _ amputation of leg tlirough knee joint or thigh—SO per eeui. Amputation of left arm at or above elbow, amputation of right arm below elbow, amputation of leg below, knee —75 per cd.it. Total deafness, amputation of left arm below elbow; —70 per cent. Amputation of right hand—tin per cent. Amputation of left hand—(lo per cent. Loss of one eye, lour lingers of right hand —50 per cunt. Loss of four lingers o i left harm! — ■ls per cent. Los.-;, of three lingers of right hand, loss of thumb- of rigid hand -10 per cent. Ijiis.j of three lingers of left hand, In.Xi of rliumh of left hand- .'SO per cent. Loss of two fingers of right nr left-hand-—25 per cent. I.omsi of index finger of right or lefthand—2o per cent. In cases of left-handed men. pensions in respect of injury to left arm i.r hand will be at the rate prescribed as for injury to rigid arm or baud. The genera] clauses of the Hill show a. liberalising tendency. One empowers payment of an extra rale of £1 weekly if the pension fails to bring the income up in an amount enabling the pensioner or. widow to live in accordance with the standard of comfort to which (hey v.ere accustomed before the war. The Hill comes- into force on January Ist. ■ PAY and allowance. THE MINISTER EXPLAINS THE NEW SCALE. The Minister ot Hetcnee moved the second reading of the Hill when the House met after the dinner adjournment last night. In the course of his explanatory remarks, Sir James Allen expressed the opinion that the first class of the S c-.md Division, which he anticipated would provide two reinforcements, would probably he called upon to i liter camp cither in January or hebruary. The Minister gave a detailed explanation of (he Hill, comparing it favorably with the pension schemes of i.'her countries anil with the average e'erical artisan wages. He described the proposed new scale of pay and allowances to wives; and children. "I don't propose to make any alteration in the pay of either soldier or officer, but it is intended to mcease the allowance to wives to 21s per week." declared the Minister. He went on to explain Unit under the present regulations a warrant officer received (ids per week and a first beutenant ,£-t. but (lie lieutenant’s wife received no allowance, so that with a guinea allowance to the wife a warrant officer would get the same as a lieutenant. In the proposal the

~ I I warrant officer with a wife would receive llie same as a second lieutenant, while a warrant officer with one child would he heller off than a lieutenant, wdh six children. A single lieutenant would still receive ,£•]• -Is, hut a lieutenant’s wife would receive a guinea allowance, making the total )ay to os. It was proposed to increase the children’s allowance from os dd to 7s a week, so that a private soldier with a wife and one child under Id years would receive lids per week, and 7s for each additional child under 10 years. In respect, of dependent*, oilier than wives and children, it was proposed to increase the allowance to widowed mothers dependent on the soldier from 7s. to 10s (id per week, and raise ’■to amount ol the increase she inav ofherwise receive from 7s. to Ids. i In’s would e'nahle her (o receive an