WELFARE OF EX-SOLDIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21987, 23 June 1933, Page 11

WELFARE OF EX-SOLDIERS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS PENSIONS ANOMALIES DISCUSSED. (Special to Dailv Times.) WELLINGTON, June 22. Some amazing anomalies in the circumstances that have arisen in connection with soldiers’ .pensions were placed before the Minister of Finance (Mr J. G, Coates) this morning by a deputation consisting of members of the council of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. Sympathetic consideration of the matters brought before him were promised by Mr Coates, who stressed, however, the difficulty that would be met in securing funds to meet any addition to the present cost of pensions. The Minister of Pensions (Mr J. G. Cobbe) and the Minister of Employment (Mr A. Hamilton) were present. Several points in connection with married men’s pensions were raised by Mr W. E. Leadley, who, while appreciating the beneficial nature of the Pensions Act, said that there were some anomalies. There was/the case of men who were married outside New Zealand and who were unable to obtain pensions for their wives and families. This was considered a hardship. He quoted the case of a man who was married to a New Zealand girl born in Christchurch. When the man went to the front the girl followed him to England, where she found employment in the High Commissioner’s office in London. The man came back to New Zealand and took his discharge here, paid his own passage Home, and married the girl in London as soon aa possible after his discharge. To-day the man was a physical wreck and was drawing a pension, but he could not get a pension for his wife and family because his marriage took place outside New Zealand. If he had married the girl in New Zealand seven years after his discharge he could have got a pension for her. Then there was the case of soldiers married seven years or more after their discharge. The Pensions’ Board Jiad discretion to grant pensions within seven years of discharge, but after seven years there was definitely no pension. They had cases of men who were married six years and 11 months after their discharge and who were granted a pension, And men married seven j’cars and one week after discharge who were refused it. This was especially hard in cases where year in and year out men spent five or six years after their discharge in hospital. What was asked was that the War Pensions Board should be given power to deal with each case on its merits. Another case mentioned was that of the soldier’s widow who could not receive a pension if she were married over two years after the soldier’s discharge, and was not able to prove that she was engaged to him before he went away. There was the case of a man in Christchurch who died as the result of his war disability. Before his death his wife was 'in receipt of a pension but immediately he died she was informed that she could not get the widow’s pension because she had been married two years and two weeks after his discharge. The Minister of Pensions said that in regard to soldiers married outside New Zealand he would be making a recommendation to Cabinet shortly. The case cited had been most unusual and probably there was not another in New Zealand. As the law stood they could not deal with it, but it might be possible to make a special grant. Marriages within seven years of discharge was an older matter. As the law stood nothing could be done in this matter either, but the case mentioned would be considered. With regard to men marrying while in receipt of the whole pension the circumstances were usually very carefully considered. Care was necessary as large sums might be involved. With regard to soldiers married years after their discharge from service the board had ho option. It had to guard against mercenary or improvident marriages and there was always the health question. The Minister estimated that to give effect to the requests made by the delegates would cost an additional £35,000 a year. The total amount of war pensions paid out last year was £1,261*778. It was the desire ‘of the hoard to do as much as it coqld, but any., increase must be very seriously considered. - ..... Mr Leadley remarked that the £30,00U anparentlv dreaded by the Minister was about half of the pensions cut received last year.— (Laughter.) Mr Coates congratulated the deputation on the moderate nature of its requests. The Government had always realised that it had the sympathy of the Returned Soldiers’ Association in any emergency in which the country might be placed. There were many cases in which there was hardship, but special cases might produce very bad laws. This year the expenditure must be controlled very definitely.