WELLINGTON NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16041, 6 April 1914, Page 6

WELLINGTON NOTES.

WEECK OF THE DEVON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, April 4. Although sadly battered by the sea, the wreck of the steamer Devon still remains on the reef oil Pencarrow Point at Wellington Heads, but its complete destruction is now in early prospect. As it lies, the wreck constitutes a certain danger to navigation, inasmuch as it shuts otf the low level Pencarrow light on some angles of approach. But for this the work of destruction might very well be left to the sea, for the disintegration of the wreck is proceeding apace. The salvagers completed their work a couple of weeks ago, and between their activities and the moods of the sea only a remnant of the vessel now remains. The main mast has fallen, and practically the whole after-part of the steamer has disappeared. In addition to that, the hull is ripped open from stem to stern along the bottom, and has perceptibly settled down. The usual way of disposing of a wreck in such circumstances is to blow it up, but it is thought not unlikely that th<? shattered remnant of the Devon may be offered to the Defence authorities for a target. She would afford good practice from Fort Dorset, and she .lies about 250 yards out from the low level Pencarrow light, and shooting would probably be fairly safe. In any case, whatever the manner of her final fate may be, all that remains of the Devon will very shortly disappear from sight.

PAYMENT OF PENSIONS. Some interesting particulars of - the operations of the Pensions Department during the financial year which closed at the end of last month were given to a reporter on Saturday by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in charge of the Pensions Department. In some instances the figures are subject to slight 'modification by the inclusion of small returns not yetembodied. The annual figures on this occasion are of particular interest, as indicating the cost incurred in granting the pension to women at the age of 60 years, instead of 65, under the Amending Act passed last session. The number of pensioners on the roll at March 31, 1914, and the increase on the figures for the previous year are as follow :—Old-age pensions, 18,050, an increase of 1541; widows' pensions, 1548, an increase of 235; military pensions, 1240, an increase of 672.

The gross payments for the year ended March 31, 1914 have been as follow : — Old-age pensions. £416,750 (increase on last . year, £1000); widows' pensions, £27,068 (increase on last year, £4954)} military pensions, £29,431 (increase for the year, £25,749). The payments made under this heading in the previous, year were for the last quarter of the year only. The gross amount paid by way of. pensions in the year ended March 31, 1913, was as follows : —Old-age pensions, £415,749; widows' pensions, £22,113; military pensions, £3678 ;—total, £441,540. With the large increase of old-age pensions during the last financial year— namely, 1541—it may be thought that there ie something peculiar about the small increase of £1000 in the payments for the stone period, but the explanation is that towards the, end of last year some 400 old-age pensions were converted into military pensions The consequent decrease in old-age pensions did not appear until the year just ended. Further, a considerable proportion of the new pensioners during the past year consisted of women under 65, who have been admitted to the roll during the past four months, and on account of whom, of course, full pensions have not yet been paid. The number of women not over 65 years of age on the roll at March 31, 1914, was in round numbers 1200, representing ah annual liability of £28,000. The "departmental estimate, made in June last, was £70,000 for: some 3000 pensioners for the first yeaT, and it will thus be seen that with only four months of the year gone considerably over one-third of the estimated annual expenditure has become payable. The annual liability in regard to all pensions on the roll at March 31, 1914, is as follows :—Old-age pensions, £440,000; widows' pensions, £29,500; military pensions, £44,640;—t0ta1, £514,140.

CLERK OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-

TIVES.

Mr Henry Otterson, clerk of the House of Representatives, who retires at the end of June, will be succeeded in that office, it is understood, by Mr A. F. Lowe, a c present clerk-assistant. Mr Lowe was promoted to the position he now holds uast year on the retirement of Mr A. J. Butherford.