PENSIONS BY RIGHT.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13939, 24 July 1917, Page 2

PENSIONS BY RIGHT.

SECOND DIVISION SCHEME. HOW IT WILL OPERATE. . '' SOME ILLUSTRATIONS. • The Second Division Conference made important alterations in their suggested pensions scheme. The alterations leave the scheme as follows; , Baric Principle!! of Pension Scheme. (1), To place incapacitated men and their .dependants in approxiniihely their pre-war position. y (2), Inducing incapacitated ir.cn to improve their positions without penalising them, (IJ). Care of incapacitated soldiers and (lcpcn laiits. Minimi mi Flat Eato "of PoiKionx

Where injuries are not scheduled'pension to be at nearest approximate rate. , Children's-Allowancc. A -flat rate of 10s (id per child; ■females to age 17; unmarried female?, 20. Altcrnalivo Pensions. Any disabled man pensioned under the above, who wakes application ami shows that llio minimum pension with children's allowances (if any) which have been granted, together with the average earnings (if any) of which he remains capable, arc less than his pre-war earnings, may be granted, temporarily or permanently, in lien of flu minimum pen-ion and children's allowances, a pension which, together with the average earnings (if any)'of which he is judged capable, shall not exceed his prewar earnings tip to a maximum of 75s per week, phis half) of any pre-war ings between 75s and 150s per week.

X.B.—The idea is to enable disabled men and'their dependants to enjoy as nearly as possible their pre-war standard'of living, up to a stated maximum. Ssrviccs cf an Attendant. Where a disabled man retpiires an at-tendant,-an allowance of -Hs weekly shall be made as a pension for Uiis purpose. Special Benefits. Allowances to be given to men to bring (heir pensuois up to those for the highest degree of disablement, and to enable them to keep I heir wives and familic; (if they have to live npar! f:'o:-t them during treatment at sanatoria, etc., or while- being trained for vocations). All fees involved to be pa(d_ by (he State, and in (lie case of training, a nun at the rate of 7i (Id a week to be given to a man for the period cf its duration as a bonus, at'the end of it.

Oiipllaliring Small Pensions,

In the east of slight injuries, ami in cer:aia other cases (such ■• as neurasthenia patients) a gratuity up to I'M to lie provided.

Gratuity to compensate for financial

losses lo men discharged from camp; men .medically rejected from camp after having been sent in, ami whose unlit-ric-a is neither attribniable to, nor aggravated by, their service, to receive gratuity (with a limit, say, of £22;3) to be assessed according to the iinancial loss inclined through being called into camp.

If a man declines to undergo treatment medically cer.i/ic- to be in Jiis inleroits, half of any pension which lie would otherwise be eligible for may be withheld from him, A permanent: pene:oii, however, must not be altered to his disadvantage. The following are examples of the working of (lie Pension by Right and Schedule Scheme as it is proposed by the conference it should be applied ;o New Zealand:—

In the case of it totally disabled mini, ■i single man is treated as a married man, There is first a flat rate ami also an alternative rale. Under the Hat rale:— - £s. d. The totally disabled or under sehediile the 100 per cent. man gets 2 1 3 For each child 10 6"

•£2 11 9 Minimum irnn anil one child, £2 lis

Two children, £.l 2s fid. A Three children, £3 13s. Four children, £4 lis Gil. Alternative rate enabling him to claim pre-war earnings or proportion thereof:—lf desired in preference, or flat rate under which-no allowance is made for children, he may claim up to £3 15s without deductions on proved

pre-war earnings, Men getting pre-war earnings of £3 15s will receive £3 15s. . Men golfing £4 get £3 15s, plus half the difference between £3 15s and £4 (2s Gd)—£3 17s OM. Men getting £5 will get £3 las, plus half the.difference between £3 10s and £5 (12s Gd)-£4 7s Gd. Men getting £(i will get £3 15s, plus £1 12s—£5 7s Cd. 3lcn gelling £7 10s will get £3 15s, plusi'l.lZsOd-f.HL'sb'd. This is the maximum allowance

100 per cent. 80 „ ,, 70 ,, , incapacitated . £ s, il. . 2 i ;; . l i;i o . 1 8 10.V fio „ » 50 , „ 40 „ „ ii it . 1 -i 9* . 1 1 7-J . l(i li 30 „ ,, n . J2 U -o „ » !) 8 IS