NEW WAR PENSIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23487, 26 October 1939, Page 13

NEW WAR PENSIONS

DEPENDANTS' POSITION^ PROTEST TO GOVERNMENT The position of a soldier's wife under the new war pensions legislation was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association last night. It was decided to protest against the present provision and ask the Dominion headquarters of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association to tako the matter up with the Government immediately. The president, 31 r. J. W. Kendall, said the important feature of the legislation passed last month was that a wife would only be considered as a dependant if married at tho time of the soldier's disablement or married within two years of disablement or could prove a pre-war engagement. "This demonstrates more than any recent happening the necessity for the continuation of the Returned Soldiers' Association, because this was the same problem that had to be faced after the last war and was the basis of negotiation with the Government over a period of over 20 years," said Mr. Kendall. "It is obvious that the same struggle will need to be. made again, and the new returned soldiers are fortunate that there is already in existence an association that understands their needs and lias had the experience of tho previous pensions difficulties."