PENSIONS BILL HIGHER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22206, 5 September 1935, Page 13

PENSIONS BILL HIGHER

INCREASE LAST YEAR TOTAL REACHES £3,338,354 WAR AND OLD AGE PAYMENTS [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Wednesday An increase of £188,459 in the amount paid out in pensions in the Dominion during the year ended March 31, 1935, compared with the figure for the previous financial year, is shown in the annual report of the Pensions Department, presented to Parliament to-day by the Minister, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe. The total payments amounted to £3,338,354, compared with £3,149,895 for the year ended March 31, 1934. War pensions accounted for £1,264,110 ancf old-age pensions for £1,519,889, against £1,246,441 and £1,350,982 respectively the previous year. In the following table payments in the past two years are compared in each case; —■ 1933-34 1934-35 War JD1.24G.411 £1,2G4,U0 Old age .. .. 1,350,932 1,519,889 Widows .. .. 302,020 290,565 Maori War .. .. 4,522 3,007 Miners .. . . 50,810 58,740 Epidemio .. .. 3,290 1,983 Blind . . . . 19,300 21,227 Boer War . . . . 2,103 2,084 Sundry pensions and annuities . . 11,GTS 12,120 Civil Service Act, 1908 .. .. 5,917 5,211 Family allowances. . 140,766 152,818 Totals . . . . £3,149,595 £3,338,354 Dealing with family allowances, the report states that 2481 claims were lodged during the year, which, with 202 outstanding from the previous year, made a total of 2743. Of these 2166 wore accepted and 295 rejected. In the latter class 135 represented cases where the income of the family was in excess of the limit allowed.

LIFE INSURANCE YEAR BUSINESS OF DEPARTMENT REPORT ON OPERATIONS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday " The new business for the year was exceptionally good," states the Commissioner of the Government Life Insurance Department, Mr. W. E. Arnold, whose report on the working of his department during 1934 was tabled in Parliament to-day. The report states that new business for the year amounted to 4629 policies assuring £1,661,348 with premiums at £37,107 a year. The department had granted 53 annuities, the purchase money being £43,466. The total business in force at the end of last year comprised 68,094 policies bearing an annual premium income of £625,085. The total sum assured was £21,191,168, to which reversionary bonuses amounting to £2,893,453 had been added. The year's income, £1,106,508, was made up of £667,488 from premiums, £395,554 from interest and £43,466 from annuity purchase money. It exceeded the previous year's total by £43,803. Payment of £524,851 had been made on 1638 claims, making the total amount paid since the inception of the department £14,269,305. Assurance, annuity and endowment funds, apart from special reserves of £458,843. stood at £9.241,764, an increase of £276,703 over the previous year. The total assets of the department amounted to £8,768,759 invested in various directions. A further £30,000 had been transferred to the reserve fund, which now stood at £453,843. WARNING BY SPEAKER LABOUR INTERJECTORS LIBERTY AND FREE SPEECH [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Comment made by the Lord Chief Justice of England on the subject of free speech was recalled by the Speaker in .the House of Representatives tonight when issuing a warning to Labour members who persisted in interjecting during the speech of the Minister of Lands, Sir Alfred Ransom. The Speaker said the Lord Chief Justice had stated, "Liberty has become a strange and fanciful thing if it means we are only prepared to listen to those who agree with us." He asked members who felt that they could not agree with speakers to refrain from interrupting and reserve what they had to say until their time came to speak. " I have listened very closely to members," the Speaker added, " and I think I ought to give this warning in the early stages of the debate." PLACE ON COMMITTEES NEW LABOUR MEMBER [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Two members of the Labour Party, the Leader, Mr. M. J. Savage, and Mr. F. W. Schramm (Auckland East), have consented to stand down from the Parliamentary Standing Committees on agriculture and education respectively, in favour of the new member for Lyttelton, Mr. T. H. McCombs. After tho names of committee members had been announced in the Houso of Representatives to-day, Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour —Avon) asked, the Minister of Education, Hon. S. G. Smith, and tho Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. E. Maemillan, if they would consent to the changes. Mr. Smith said he himself had raised the question of Mr. McCombs' membership the previous clay, but in the meantime tho Labour Parti' had apparently changed its mind. He was quite prepared to reconsider the position. Mr. Maemillan raised no objection to the change on the agricultural committee.