PAYMENT OF PENSIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18049, 24 September 1920, Page 5

PAYMENT OF PENSIONS

OLD PEOPLE'S GRIEVANCE.

(Fbom Ooe Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 23. A newspaper announcement that from September _27 onwards old-ago pensioners would receive their pensions at the court houses instead' of over the counter at the post office, was quoted ire fhe House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston), who said it was an unfortunate change to make tho pensioners go to tho courthouse to draw their money. They had a dread of it, he taid, and ho knew of cases where applications to tho court had been made by a third party on behalf of 'the pensioners, who did not wish themselves to visit tlie court. He asked that the Minister in charge of the department should show that consideration due to theso old people, and especially to tho women, by arranging that they might continue t.o draw therr pensions through tho post office. Dr 11. T. J. Thaekcr (Christclmrch East) : Why not let the postmen mako tlio -Daymen ts? Mr Nash: I don't think that would be too much to ask. He suggested that arrangements might easily be made whereby the payments might be made to tlio pensioners by the postmen on their rounds. Sir _ William Herries said that he would look into tho matter. Hp did not know that any order such as that quotod had been made, but ho would inquire from tho department-. „ There might bo somo objection, conceivably on the part of tho post office, to the continued payment of tho money through that channel. If an y altera« tion had been made in the arrangements lie would find out the reason for it and let Mr Nash know.