AMOUNTS OF PENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 11

AMOUNTS OF PENSIONS.

WAR AND ECONOMIC. SUGGESTION FOR REVISION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHANGAREI, Saturday. A meeting of the executive of the Empire Ex-Servicemen's Association was held last evening, when several matters of vital interest in regard to pensions and the activities of Flock House were discussed. The opinion was that an inquiry should be made into the question of pensions generally, with a view to limiting what are considered to be excessive payments, war and economic, apd that provision should be made in the case of those men with dependents in receipt of war pensions of 15s or less per week who are urgently in need of further assistance. Members were surprised to learn that in some instances the combined pensions—war and economic—paid to partially disabled soldiers and their families were as high as £7 a week, whereas men with war pensions received 15s and under per week, in spite of the fact that they were in real distress and not eligible for further consideration. It was decided to submit the following remit to the annual general meeting of the Empire Ex-Servicemen's Association, to be held early in April:—"This association advocates, in the interests of all returned men and women, that the Government be invited to promote legislation without delay in the direction of pooling all patriotic canteen and other similar funds, with a view to investing the whole in order to pay to every returned man or woman a weekly, pension on attaining the age of 55 or 60—except in cases of persons in receipt of salary or income of £3OO per annum or over, and that in such cases the right to the pension be .suspended, but immediately be made payable on salary or income being reduced below the amount stated."