OVER 20 PER CENT.

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1932, Page 5

OVER 20 PER CENT.

Old Age Pension Cut A ELAW IN THE ACT. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, May .3. Urgent representations have been made to Cabinet since a discovery has been made that in the paying of old age pensions for April the ten per cent, cut provided for in the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill has been applied on the basis of the maximum pension. One instance quoted is a reduction of the Is 7<l per week in a pension of 7s 6d.

An urgent question on this subject was to have been asked in the House to-day by an Auckland member, but he withheld it on a promise that the Cabinet would look into this apparent anomaly.

It is understood that an error in the Act is admitted, and that an appropriate amendment will be made in the Legislative Council. Apprehension was caused in Cabinet circles when the interpretation placed on the Clause by the Pensions Department was pointed out, and it is understood that many of the old age pensioners have been put to needless inconvenience.

Intereviewed after Cabinet had considered the matter, Mr Forbes said th-?, question was being looked into. The Government’s intention was that their ten per cent, cut should apply to the amount of pension actually paid, and not to the maximum pension payable. Although the Adjustment Bill has been criticised on the ground that so many important amendments to it were introduced at a late stage, and then passed hurriedly, it is curious that the section dealing with the pen sion reductions was the only one 'o which the Government proposed no amendments after the. Bill’s introduction. Further, no other section was subjected to such a long discussion, and yet among all the speeches directed to that subject, none lighted on what now appears to be a serious flaw in the legislation.

Second Cut FOR HARBOUR STAFF. (Per Pres< Association). AUCKLAND, May 3. The graded officers of the Auckland Transport Board receiving salaries ofj £370 per annum and over, are to receive a second “cut,” operating as from May Ist. This decision wasi reached by the Board, in committee. The salaries from £370 to £495 will be l subject to a deduction o£ five per cent.; those from £496 to £lOOO, to one of 71 per cent.; and those overi £lOOO to a eut of per cent. |