SECOND DIVISION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 27 October 1917, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION.

PAY, ALLOWANCES, PENSIONS

WHAT THE LAW PROVIDES

The position of the Second Division, as outlined by Mr" C. H. Burnett, of Wanganui, is given below. As the War Pensions Amendment Bill has now passed its second reading in Parliament, I think we can now regard this measure, together with the "Army orders" in respect to pay and allowances, as likely to become law without serious amendment.

The pay of the Second Divisionist «oldier will remain the same as paid the single soldier (5s per day, or 35s per week). Of this sum 3s per day will be allotted to the wife or sole dependent. In addition to this 3s allowance, the present wife's allowance of Is per day" will be increased to 3s per day, making the wife's total allowance 6s per day, or £2 2s per week. .Each child's allowance will be increased from 9d per day (or 5s 3d per week) to Is per day (or 7s per week). In passing, I might say that the League, has taken the stand that the pay of the Second Divisionist soldier should be the same as the single soldie^, viz., 5s per day, or 35s per week. We have asked that no deduction from this sum shall be made and allocated as a wife's allowance as proposed. We ask that the 3s per day now withheld by the State for the benefit of the -single soldier shall also be withheld for the benefit of the married soldier. If this allotment is necessary for the benefit of the single soldier —and it is —how much more necessary is it for the benefit of the man with a wife and family. As I have indicated, the Government are determined to allocate 3s per day from the 35s to the wife, And raise the present allowance of Is to 3s per day, making in all £2 2s per -week. The Minister has fixed. January 1, 1918, as the date when these proposals shall come into operation. Our League has contended that, as the First Division contains some 8000 married men, the Orders should apply at once, and that the iniquity of paying wives 16 per day and children 9d per day shall not continue one moment longer than it is necessary. Personally, I have taken the stand that letrospective pay should be calculated and allocated the marrieds of the Second Division who have gone with "the First Division. It is true the Government did not encourage these men to go. It is true that these men went knowing full well the pay and allowances payable. But 'the fact remains thafc the country took the men, and in taking these men our country assumed responsibility to those wives and dependents that must not be lightly cast aside. If this adjustment is not made, and at the most it cannot be estimated at a prohibitive sum, it will be a blot upon our country and our legislation. Now with reference to pensions in case of disablement. Under the old legislation £1 15s per week was paid to the soldier in cases of total disablement, and 12s 6d per week to the wife. The Bill proposes to pay £2 per week to the soldier and £1 per week to the wife. This is the minimum flat rate for total disablement. In addition, a further £1 per week can be obtained if pre-war earnings can be established. The following will be the position if the disabled man has a family:

Mm. Max. Soldier, wife & child £3 10 £4 10 „ „ 2 children 4 0 5 0 „ „ 3 children 410 ' 5 0 ~ „ 4 children 5 0 5 0 The sum of £5 per week will be the maximum possible for the totally and permanently disabled man, wife and his family to obtain. This is fixed and irreducible. Now with reference to partial disablements. The third schedule of the amending Act defines specific injuries and definitely fixes the pension allowances payable along the varying degrees of injury. For instance, an amputation of the right arm through tbe shoulder joint will provide 85 per cent of the pension, and co on right down the schedule to the loss of the index finger of the right or left hand, and being 20 per cent of pension. Many of the principles of the Royal Warrant of the British Pension Scheme have been adopted. Special provision is made that if a man after his discharge refuses to undergo treatment in hospital or sanatorium the Medical Board have power to reduce a pension 50 per cent^ The State, on the other hand, has provided that hospital treatment and all expenses are paid, in addition to having his pension raised to the maximum under the flat rates, and any additional amount to which he may be entitled on account of his pre-war earnings. No definite limit seems to be fixed, but the rule appears to be £1 per week maximum. With regard to a pension that is permanently fixed. A clause has been inserted in the Bill, viz., that when 2. pension has been fixed it cannot be Teduced on account of the change in tbe capacity of tbe pensioner to earn. "This clause gives absolute security, and is an inducement to the recipient to endeavor to fit himself so that he can be of service to himself and the community.

With regard to death pensions. The widow under tbe old law received £1 5s per week. Under the new amendment the widow will receive £1 10s if she has no dhildren, and if she has children £2 per week. But in addition to this sum she may obtain another 10s per week to b2-ing her up to her husband's pre-war position. This -would bring the pension to £2 if without children, and £2 10s if she has children, with 15s p<?r week additional for each child. Thus the widow with one child under the. old law receiving £1 12s 6d will now receive £2 10s, and may receive £3. Further assistance -can also be obtained under an amendment of the Finance Act, which provides a further 7s per week widows' pension, and which sum would make the pension to the widow with one child £2 10s, but may receive £3 7s. With two children £3, and may receive £4 Is 6d. With three children £3 10s, and may receive £4 16s. With, four children £4. and may receive £5 10s per week. Personally, I feel the death pension to the wife should have been fixed at £2, and not £1 10s per week. On the ground.* that if it is considered necessary to allow the wife £2 2s as an allowance while her husband is at the front, surely she requires the same ■allowance when he is dead. The balance receivable would depend upon the pre-war earnings of her husband and under the Widows' Pension Act upon CI) That the widow's personal earnings do not exceed £100 per annum; (2) her rther income executing war pension does not exceed £30; (3) her house does not exceed £340 in value: (4) that she has not £600 in cash or property, .yd always alumina she has no other income as shown in clause 2 The child allowance to tu.-> widow will,' of course, <-ease when the chiUb-en reach 17 years. Clause To of the Bill amends the principal Act in the matter of the <!eatb or disablement of the soldier. Our League held that under no circumstances should the misconduct of the soldier penalise the wife or dependent in resnect to either allowances or pensions. The result was that the whole of clause 15 was deleted. The new clause (15) substituted, although an improvement, still contains this objection under another guise.

The League has objected to too much discretionary power being given Medical and Pensions Boards. The League preferred to have as many of the provisions as possible fixed by right and fixed by statute. Ultimately we recognised that much discretionary power fould be placed in the hands of the ensions Board. We then asked Sir James Allen if he would agree to a returned soldier, or two returned soldiers, being appointed to this Board to watch the interests of the soldiers and dependents in the many matters that must pass before this Board. My impression was that Sir James Allen agreed and definitely promised that this would be done. However, on turning to clause 16 of section 2 I find the following: "Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 4, the Minister may, if he thinks fit, appoint an additional member of the War Pensions Board, who shall hold office on the same terms as the members appointed under that section."

Clause 14 provides that if a disabled man returns and is discharged, and he marries within two years, the State will provide for his wife a wife's pension. If the soldier dies, no" widow's pension is provided, but a gratuity shall be paid equivalent to two years' pension, and it is possible under this legislation for the children of this man, if he has any, to apply for a pension and secure it. With regard to the widowed mother of a soldier. The widowed mother is placed in exactly the same position as the widow of a soldier provided she is solely dependent. If the widowed mother is paritally dependent, the following clause will apply: Section 34—Where application for a pension in respect of the death or disablement of a member of the Force is made by his widowed mother on the ground that she was partially dependent upon him, the pension granted to the applicant shall he not less in any case than one-half of the amount that would have been payable if the applicant had been wholly dependent upon the member in respect of whose death or disablement the application is made. Thus, in the case or death, the pension would be 15s per week, and in the case of disablement 10s per week. Of course, in the case of a widowed mother being wholly dependent, the pension would be double these rates. The new law fixes the age of children to whom allowances and pensions are payable at sixteen years. But the Board has discretionary power to extend the age to seventeen years in the case of females, and to any age in the case of chronic invalid children of either sex. An invalid father who is a widower and a dependent of a soldier, will_ be provided for upon the same basis as a widowed mother receiving 10s 6d per week if her income does not exceed 10s per week. Dependent brothers and sisters are also provided for to the extent of 7s per week.

The maximum amount provided by the "Financial Assistance Board" for lent, insurance, interest on mortgages, and other items, has been increased from £2 per week to £3 per week. Several clauses of the Bill deal with the pay of officers. Considerable adjustment will be required to bring them into line with the increased allowances to tbe wife and children of the private soldier.