GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15826, 26 July 1913, Page 10

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

\ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

(Pbe United Prkgs Association.) WELLINGTON, July 25. The Council met at 2.30 p.m.

SECOND READINGS. The Industrial Conciliation and Attn-

tration Act Amendment Bill and the Amendments Incorporation Bill were read a second time, and were referred to committees. The Council adjourned at 4.30 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

NEW BILLS.

The House met at 2.30.

The Wellington City Empowering Bill (the Hon. Mr Herdman) and the Land Brainage Act Amendment Bill (Mr Wilkinson) were read a first time. COPYRIGHT BILL. The House went into committee on the Copyright Bill, which was passed through with minor amendments. RECIPROCITY IN PENSIONS. The.Hon. Mr FIS.IER moved *he second reading of the Old-age Pensions Reciprocity Bill, which ratifies the agreement between the New Zealand and the Commonwealth Governments providing for reciprocity in the matter of old-age pensions. The Minister said the pension conditions were easier in Australia than in New Zealand. The proportion of pensioners in New Zealand was 1.75, and in Australia 1.50. In each country the pension was £26, but in Australia the residential qualification was 20 years, as acainst 25 years in this country A modification was proposed in the New Zealand law by a Consolidation Bill, and the conditions here 'would be much in line with those of Australia. It was impossible to get data relating to the probable cost of the scheme.

Members of both sides expressed concord with the measure, but some of them sounded warning note* regarding the amount of expenditure necessary to make a success of the proposal. In rehiring, Mr FISHER said the New Zealand pensions scheme for the year 1912-13 had cost £415.761, and in the six States of Australia £2,200,000, which worked out at about the same as ours per State. There was no way of getting complete data relating to pensions, as it was impossible to find out how many people in the country would come under the Bill. He hoped the Bill would be the forerunner of many further reciprocal agreements with the Commonwealth, especially one concerning workers' compensation. The Bill was read a second time. OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

The Hon. Mr FISHER moved the second reading of the Pensions Bill, amending and consolidating the law on the subject. The principal alterations are the payment of pensions to women at the age of 60 years, and the repeal of the income and property qualifications in the military pensions. Other amendments permit of a break 'in the residential qualification for pensions. The definition of income as applied to oldage and widows pensions, the disposition of property by will, the payment of instalments occurring during December (before Christmas), and an alternative penalty for fraud are also altered and provided for. The Minister said no pension fund would be fair which did not recognise the thrifty man. The provision for paying widows at the age of 60 years would cost the country £70,000 after the first year, and the increase in military pensions would involve an expenditure of between £7000' and £10.000 per annum. They proposed to exempt the home in the computation of income, so that the person who had been thrifty should not be penalised and tiie idle person receive a pension. He also proposed to move, in committee, a clause which would relieve a pensioner from deductions in his pension because h,i3 properly had increased in valuo since his original pension was granted.

Mr WITTY congratulated the Minister on the introduction of the Bill, but said that to his mind it did not go far enough. With the surplus which the Government claimed, it might well have extended the pensions more than it. had done. Still any reasonable- proposals put forward to improve the pensions scheme would have the hearty support of has side of the House. He claimed that the Liberals had first suggested the extension of the pension to widows at 60 years, but they had not been able, f or financial reasons, to carry it out. The pensions in this case ought to be £26 instead of £21.

Mr ELL expressed regret that the Government had not more generously recognised the services of the pioneers of the movement to- establish old-age pensions. He quoted from speeches by the Prime Minister and the Hon. Mr Hemes to show that they were once against pensions. He would support the Bill.

Mr LEE held that the necessity for going to open court for pensions deterred many decent, deserving people from applying lor a pension. He advocated a system of applying to the magistrate in Chambers.

Mr NGATA said he hoped the Minister would look into the matter of Maori pensions. He know there was not. sufficient money to meet tie demands of the Maori civil list, and he trusted that those who were now claiming under that head would be transferred to the Old-age Pensions Act.

Mr RUSSELL said he hoped the House would not support a universal pension scheme as had been suggested. If that were adopted, men who wore worth hundreds of thousands of pounds would be found claiming the pension, and the wholo system would break down.

The Hon. Mr MASSEY said he had made a promise that if they secured the Treasury benches amendments to the Oldage .Pension Act such as were included in the Bill before the House would be carried out, and he had kept that promise. That was incorporated in the Governor's Speech, and he could further say that all the promises of the Government would be kept. Mr Massey took occasion to reply to the criticism of the Opposition in regard to the allegations that the Reform Government would break down the pension system, State fire insurance, and other beneficial Acts, and asked if the Government had not nullified the predictions of its opponents. He stated further that the Government was the first to bring down a practical recognition of military pensions. The MINISTER briefly replied, and the Bill was read a second time. The House rose at 0.45 a.m.