WAR PENSIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 25 June 1937, Page 6

WAR PENSIONS

METHOD OF HEARING APPEALS R.S.A. DECISIONS (United Press Association] WELLINGTON, 24th’ June. After a debate, the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association yesterday rejected a proposal by its Dominion executive that, to expedite the hearing of war pension appeals, tlie Minister in charge of War Pen sions be recommended to set up a permanent appeal board consisting of a retired judge of the Supreme Court and two rued, leal officers, one representing the Government and the other the Returned Soldiers’ Association. War pensions appeals are at present heard by boards in the four centres. A retired judge (Sir Waller Stringer), is the chairman of each, and the other two members are doctors resident in the centre in each case. Mr J. W. Kendall (Auckland) said that applicants would not get such consideration from the proposed body as from the present ones, with which his association was satisfied. The proposal, if adopted, would be a retrograde, said Mr E. W. Leadley (Christchurch), who added that lie was surprised to . find it coming from the Dominion executive. His association was satisfied with the present pensions appeal boards. Members of a permanent hoards would become like public servants, with the Government point of view. In a year or two;appellants would find that they would not get the consideration they received at present. EXPEDITION DESIRED ' Mr H. B. Burdekin (Dominion execu, tive) said he had discussed the subject with the Minister.in Charge of War Pen sions, and, knowing the departments point of view, he thought the fears of the oponents of .the remit from which apbogey. The disabilities from which appeilants suffered arose from their being unable to have their cases heard. The proposal would overcome that difficulty. However, the doctors appointed would not bo employed for their full time on The pensions board, at least after the first six months. The permanent board would give, uniformity of decision and would remove danger of local influence. The doctors nominated would be men of good standing. The executive had made the proposal only after thorough inquiry and after being satisfied that it would he to tlie benefit of returned soldiers. Mr J. D. Harper (lion., treasurer) spoke i.i support of the remit: It was not suggested that the present boards were not giving satisfaction, but it was contended that the change would obviate delay. The proposal was defeated. ECONOMIC PENSIONS The conference resolved not to ask for increase of economic pensions at present, i.i face of other requests. ■ The British Ministry of Pensions is to be urged again to give more sympathetic recognition of tlie claims for pensions made by Imperial ex-servicemen resident in New Zealand. It was decided to request that the war veterans’ allowances be revised so that an allowance would be 25s a week, 15s a week for the wife of a married veteran, as at present, and 10s a week for each child, tlie maximum allowance to be £156 a year, and the veteran to he entitled to supplement his allowance by earning up to £52 a year. The Government is to he asked to include the members of overseas forces, otherwise qualified, and resident in New Zealand, under the War Veterans’ Allowance Act. Tlie association is to make representations to the Government that it give pension provision for tlie childless widow of a soldier pensioner whose death cannot be attributable .to war service and whose widow is now in indigent circumstances. A remit submitted by the Thames branch that more adequate statements of deci sions dismissing appeals should be given was adopted. Other remits adopted were to the ef feet that a widower with children who receives a war veteran’s allowance and who lias a housekeeper should receive the same amount as if lie had a wife; that returned soldier contributors to State superannuation funds who become unfit should be retired and allowed a retiring allowance as if they had worked five years longer; that the Government Ue asked to retain the war pensions legislation when framing the proposed national health scheme and that the I)o minion executive place before tlie Minister ol Pensions the position of returned soldiers when he is framing the nation il superannuation and insurance .scheme.