WAR PENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21166, 26 April 1932, Page 13

WAR PENSIONS.

EX-SERVICEMEN'S INTERESTS. DOMINION EXECUTIVE'S WORK. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HAWERA, Saturday. During an address given at the annual meeting of the South Taranaki Returned Soldiers' Association at Hawera, Mr. A. E. Gorton, assistant general secretary of tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, replied to recent criticism made by the Christchurch branch executive concerning the proposals made to the Government by the Dominion executive for an amended scale of reductions in soldiers' pensions in place of those recommended by the National Expenditure Commission. The Dominion executive, said Mr. Gorton, had protested strongly to the Cabinet against the commission's proposals, which included a 50 per „ent. cut of all economic pensions for the year 1932-33, a 10 per cent, cut for dependants, and a further 50 per cent, cut, or the total abolition of the economic pension for the year 1933-34. Ministers interviewed evinced every sympathy with returned soldier pensioners and expressed regret that any reduction at all was necessary. At the same time they made it abundantly clear that sacrifice to some degree was necessary. The Prime Minister's intention was to cut all war pensions by 10 per cent., thus effecting a saving amounting approximately to £125,000 annually, said Mr. Gorton. After protracted conferences the Government decided that at least £75,000 must be saved, but as a result of representations the amount to be sacrificed was reduced to £66,400. The net outcome of tho Dominion executive's representations was the exemption from cuts of pensions to soldiers for physical disablement, pensions under the Act until 1923 (excluding economic pensions), pensions to widows and widowed mothers, and pensions to children of deceased soldiers. The South Taranaki meeting adopted a resolution of confidence in the Dominion executive.