MILITARY PENSIONS ACT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8364, 26 February 1913, Page 11

MILITARY PENSIONS ACT

SCHEME EMINENTLY SUCCESSFUL. Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 25. The latest information regarding the operations of the Military Pensions Act of Just session was given to a “Herald” representative by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. “The scheme has been eminently successful,” Mr Fisher remarked. “The total number of pensions granted under the Act to date is 512, involving an annual liability ot £17,300. There have been 815 inquiries regarding pensions, and seventy of these have reached the Pensions Office m completed form. Of those applications on which pensions have not been granted, seventy-nine have been rejected principally on the grounds that tho claimants were disqualified by the possession of income or property in excess of the statutory allowances, seven-ty-four have been deferred owing to lack of evidence of the issue of war medals, and thirty-three are under investigation. Possession of the New Zealand war medal is an essential qualification for a pension, and the veterans do not seem to comprehend that the medal was issued by the Imperial Government on conditions which are not subject to alteration by the New Zealand Government. There are many men alive to-day who undertook most hazardous duties during the Maori wars, but owing to the condition prescribed by tho Imperial Government that the medal would be awarded only to men who were actually under fire, many men are deprived of receiving decorations. That difficulty cannot be overcome by the New Zealand Government until tho War Office agrees to alter the conditions upon which the medal was granted, and it is proposed to make representations to the Imperial authorities urging that the medal should be granted to those who underwent the hardships of the campaign, though they were not actually under fire.” Another regrettable disability was mentioned by Mr Fisher. He said that a claimant for a war medal was required to produce a certificate that he had been under fire, signed by the officer commanding the forces in which he served. Owing to the death of so large a number of tho officers engaged in the war the survivors have the utmost difficulty in establishing their qualification for the medal, though they are apparently bona fide claimants. “It is a matter of sincere regret to me that we are unable to overcome this difficulty. Nevertheless, it is gratifying that, after a long period of delay, 512 veterans are to-day receiving benefits under tho Act.”