80LDIERS' PAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 229, 27 September 1917, Page 2

80LDIERS' PAY.

S¥M WAR PENSIONS BILL

PROPOSED KATES AND

ALLOWANCES

[from our correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. The War Pensions Amendment Bill, ■which formed the subject of last night's secret session of Parliament, was brought down in the House to-night by Sir James Alien. The Bill provides that additional pensions may be paid to members of the forces where it was shown to the satisfaction of the Pensions Board that through their disablement their dependants could not maintain themselves in accordance with the standard of comfort to which they were .accustomed before the war. The amount payable on that account may not exceed one pound weekly. A maximum of five pounds weekly was provided for. No permanent pension shall be reducible on account of any change in the earning capacity of the . member of the forces. Provision is made lor an increase in the rate of pension of a widow ■where it is shown that the amount she is receiving does not allow her to live up to the standard of comfort she was acciistomed to before the war, providing that the whole pension does not exceed three pounds ■weekly. Where a widowed mother of a deceased member of the forces proves her dependence, irrespective of degree, the pension shall be not less than half that payable if she were the widow of that member. The rates of pensions in the case of the death of a private, bombardier, lance-corporal, trooper, gunner, driver, sapper, trumpeter, or bugler without a child will be £1 10s, with si child or children £2; corporal or lance-sergeant, £1 11s and £2 Is; sergeant, farrier-corporal, shoeingsmith corporal, saddler corporal, corporal - fitter, farrier - sergeant, saddler-sergeant, armorer-sergeant, sergeant-fitter, or petty officer, £1 12s and £2 2s; squadron, battery, or company sergeant-major, quarter-master-sergeant, color-sergeant, staffsergeant, pay-clerk, chief petty .officer, and equivalent ratings, £1 14s and £2 4s; regimental sergeantjnajor, regimental quartermastersergeant, warant officer, and equivalent ranks (Navy) £1 15s and £2 ss, second lieutenant, lieutenant (Army), commissioned warrant officer, and ranks, sub-lieutenant and equivalent ranks (Navy), £2 5s and £2 15s; captain (Army), lieutenant under eight years seniority, and equivalent ranks (Navy), £2 10s and £3; major, lieutenant of eight years seniorit3', and equivalent ranks (Navy) £2 17s and £3 7s: lieutenantcolonel, captain nnder three years .seniority and equivalent ranks, commanders and equivalent ranks (Navy) £3 6s and £3 Ifa's; colonel, captain of three years seniority, and equivalent ranks (Navy), £3 8s and £3 18s"; brigadier - general, major - general", commodores of the first and second class, rear-admiral, and other equivalent ranks, £3 10s and £4. In all cases provision is made for 7s 6d weekly for each child. The rates of pension in the case of disablement provides for payment as follows: —Private, bombardier, lancecorporal, trooper, gunner, driver, sapper, trumpeter, bugler, able seaman and equivalent ratings, corporal, lance-sergeant, leading seaman, and equivalent ratings, sergeant, farrier corporal, shoeing-smith corporal, saddler corporal, corporal - fitter, fan-ier sergeant, saddler sergeant, armorer sergeant, sergeant-fitter, lance-sergeant (paid as such), petty ■■officer, HIl4 ££lli vafent ratin™ squadron, battery, otl company sergeant - major, quartermaster-ser-geant, color-sergeant, staff-sergeant, pay clerk, chief petty officer, and jequivftlent ratings, regimental ser-geant-major, regimental quarter-master-sergeant, warrant officer, and equivalent ranks (Navy), to the members per week £2, to the wife ncr week £1; second lieutenant, lieutenant (Army), commissioned warrant officer, and equivalent ranks, sub-lieutenant and equivalent ranks <Navy), £2 2s 6d and £1 Is 3d;' captain (Army), lieutenant under eight years seniority, and equivalent ranks (Navy), £2 5s and £1 2s 6d; major, lieutenant of eight years seniority, and equivalent ranks XNavy), £2 12s and £1 6s; lieutenantcolonel, captain under three years seniority, and equivalent ranks, commanders and equivalent ranks (Navy) £3 Is and £1 10s 6d; colonel, captain of three years seniority, and equivalent ranks (Navy), £3 3s and £1 lls fid; brigadier-genera], majorgeneral, commodores of the first and second class, rear-admiral, and other equivalent ranks, £3 5s and £] 12s Gel. Provision is made for the payment ol' 7s fid weekly for each child. The Bill provides for the ratio of pension to the full pension payable in the cases of total disablement, the major points of which are: Loss of two iimbs 100 per cent., loss of limb and eye 100 per cent., loss of both \if«nds'loo per cent., loss of all fingers and thumbs 100, loss of both feet 100, loss of hand and foot 100, loss of sight 100, total paralysis 100, lunacy 100, permanently bedridden 100, wounds or injuries to the head or other organ involving total permanent disabling effects 100, advanced incurable disease 100, very serious facial disfigurement 100, amputation of right arm through shoulder joint 85, .•imputation of leg through hip joint 85, loss of speech 80, severe facial disfigurement 80, amputation of left jinn through shoulder joint 80, amputation of right arm at or above the elbow 80, amputation of leg through Iviiep joint or thigh 80, amputation of left'arm at or above the. elbow 75, amputation of right arm below the elbow 75, amputation of log below the knee 75, total deafness 70, amputation of left arm below tlio elboAV 70.

Sir James Alien presented a statement showing the- present and proposed \vo(\!dy ]>f«y and allowances, ■with the vmiximum possible under the •soldiers' financial assistance regulations a:s follows: — % 5 -^ * •^ *" i* t O Of* .£ ? jh 1 « I |'G >, C«' & Q. - i h % i U v s «« (^ 2 S d S S Soldier 35 0 35 95 Soldier and wife ... 42 0 50 110 j Soldier, wife, 1 child... 47 3 63 123 j Soldier, wife, 2 ch'd'rn 52 6 70 -J. 30 | Soldier, wife, 3 eh'kl'n 57 9 77 137 i Soldier, wife. 4 ch'd'rn 63 0 84 TH -

Allen, and asked whether there was J one married man in the House who w»uld like to leave his wife with less than two guineas a week to subsist upon whilst he went forward to defend his country. They had had no pronouncement so far as to what was to be done regarding the examination of the Second Division before the ballot. He had expected it, but nothing had been said. They had been told that it was impossible. Dr Thacker: "It is possible." Mr Wilford asked why pensions for married men should not apply to married men now fighting, also why they should not be made retrospective. If the purchasing price of the sovereign to-day was only 13s, how could any widow get along on the ponsion proposed. Many of them would have mortgages on their cottages, and with the present prices of food there was little chance of them getting through in life. Mr Wilford's speech ended at supper time, and upon resumption of the House Mr Speaker put the question, and no one rose to speak until the motion was carried. Then Mr Brown and Mr Poland rose simultaneously, Mr Brown predominating. Mr Speaker insisted that the motion had been carried, and the second reading was carried. That fact closed the debate on one of the most important measures ever brought before Parliament.

When the House rose Members formed themselves into small knots and discussed the situation, but there was no acceptable solution to the debacle. Some Members said that the matter had been arranged in consequence of the previous night's secret session, but that was hardly borne out by the fact that the House was very thin after supper. The plain facts suggest that Members generally "fell in," and that the second reading of the Bill slipped through on the sly.

There was a great deal of comment in the lobbies after the House rose on the slackness of Members in their attention to the Bill.

Prior to the rising of the House Mr Massey stated that so far as it was possible three months would be allowed Second Division Reservists'between the date of examination and the date of their being called up.