PENSIONS TO WIDOWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17111, 17 March 1919, Page 6

PENSIONS TO WIDOWS.

ALLEGED INADEQUACY. ; RESOLUTIONS OP PROTEST. • Tho; matter of pensions granted to widows was discussed at a largely-at-tended : meeting of the Soldiers' Mothers' 'League in the Town Hall on Saturday. Sir Frederick Lang, Speaker of the Houso of Kepresentativea, and several members of the Labour Party were also present; •Dr. Florence Keller said she considered that the pensions allowed to women who were widowed from'causes, other i(han the I recent' epidemic were Totally inadequate. • A motion, that the meeting considered the administration of tho .widows' pensions to be a strange anomaly of justice -to a, great number of widows and' children in-, asmuch as a difference of many.shillings' was made in favour of the epidemic widow against all other widows, and that the. league considered the only fact the Government had to deal with was that the applicant Was a widow, was city He'd; |* It was also decided :to appeal to Cabinet to adjust the adminrstration of the pensions' scheme, and-make'an equal pension for all* widows and children' upon the rate decided the epidemic

widow's pension. ~ . , v ' Sir Frederick Dang said adequate provision should be "made for the children by;. the State. It not &' question of charity, but only of what the people were entitled to, ' ;" '• ' V'i; '•"" '.;'*'". ■■■■ A resolution, expressing strong indignation at ".' A Government widows' pension being administered throuch the Charitable Aid •Board)' and, urging that the epidemic widows' pension be aoministered through the -Pensions Depaitment, was . also adopted.. ,*.•• ~ '.. ~ j■.