LATE MR J. A. LYONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 May 1939, Page 7

LATE MR J. A. LYONS

ANNUITIES FOR WIDOW AND FAMILY BILL TO BE AMENDED LU.P.A.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 11th May, 12.20 p.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. The Federal Minister’s Bill to provide annuities of £SOO a year for Dame Enid Lyons and her children is to be substantially amended. The Ministry made this decision after it encountered unexpected trouble in the House of Representatives, when it introduced the Bill.

When it became apparent that the Ministry would be defeated if it pressed the measure in its present form, at the suggestion of Mr Menzies, Prime Minister, a committee, consisting of two members of each party, reviewed the proposal. As a result of these deliberations new proposals were placed before the members of various parties, which will probably result in the following arrangement being accepted by the House: The annuity to Dame Enid will remain at £SOO provided she does not re-marry, and an annuity on a sliding scale will be paid to the children until the youngest is sixteen years, not twenty-one years, as proposed in the present Bill. The amount will fall by about £BS a yoar, until when the youngest child reaches sixteen it will disappear altogether.