WAR PENSIONS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18520, 3 October 1923, Page 10

WAR PENSIONS BOARD.

SOLDIERS' REPRESENTATIVE.

FIVE DOCTORS NOMINATED. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] : WELLINGTON. Tuesday. In announcing to-night their nominees to the War Pensions Board under the recent amendment to the Act, the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association indicated that, with the dual purpose of securing knowledge on the spot,, and- to save the State heavy expense, in travelling, it had been decided instead/of nominating one member to the board, to nominate one for each of the four main centres, and to ask the Government to accept a fifth, and to declare. Southland a' district for that purpose. . ' The names of those nominated by the Association are: Auckland district, Dr. ■W. C. McCaw; /Wellington, ■:■ Dr. F. T. Bowerbank; Canterbury, Dr. A. J. Orchard; Otago, Dr. T. Furgus; Southland, Dr. R. H. Hogg. " ;' '.• The War Pensions Appeal Board, as constituted by the recent amending legislation/ will. consist ' of the three sitting members, of whom two shall be registered medical practitioners. Sir Frederick Chapman has been appointed chairman in response to a request by the Returned Soldiers' Association that a. Supreme Court Judge should preside over the deliberations on' appeals , from war pensioners. There is yet to be one member appointed by the Government. - i; / The new law provides for what is known as the " economic " pension, payable to ex-soldiers "' or their dependents, which will be in addition to any pension payable as of right in respect of the death or disablement of a member of the forces. In considerating applications for economic pensions, the board is authorised. to take., into consideration the ability of the applicant to obtain and retain suitable employment, personal earnings and other income, property, cost of living, and such other factors of _ economic significance as the board considers relevant. '/.//