OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 64

OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

REMOVAL OF DISABILITIES. ' DEPUTATION TO SIR J. O. WARD. | (Feom Oub Own 'Cohrespoxdest.) i WELLINGTON, October 21. 1 Thirty-ei°ht members ot both Houses of ' rarlian-W waited on the- Prime Minister to-day to propose that the value of pensioners' homes should not affect the value of old-age pensions. Mr T. E. Taylor stated that the suggestions made had been advocated ever nnce the old-age pension system was established. There was a very widespread desire that the penalty now imposed on thrift, by which the vame of their houses above £150 vas counted against old-age pensioners, shouUl be removed. Whatever the value of the home was, so long as it was only the result of their taste and their thrift, it should not be a disadvantage to them. Ait present the better class of colonists had to see less thrifty pensioners getting the full amount, while they, because they had improved their homes, w ere _ not eligible to receive the full amount. Iheie were now 13.5 59 reiiHcneis, and the fund totalle-l £336,000, and to give the full pension to all the pensioner*, would mean in increase of £19.454. The proposal ad■soritfxl would put the system on a higher and more di^ni'it-d level, ana would nnp>ove the whole atmosphere of the penfcion. There weie al^o quite a number o. ! crsse.* in which the eftect of the periodical I valuations decreased the pen.-.ioiv-, though the increase of valuation l.ad not benefited ' the pensioners, in any way. ] Mr Massey said fie had felt vrry strongly on this matter for a lor.j; time past. An i injustice was done to those persons who ! were thrifty enough to establish a home \ for themselves. Be Tead a letter from a dying old-a<»e pensioner whose wife would he affected by the injustice, and who *aid that he would die more easily H he knew j that this matter was to he put right. Mr J. P. Luke mentioned the case of pensioners whose claims to tlte pen»son vere dismissed on account of wages j earned by their v.ives. He thought that 1 this P3-*t&m should now be reconsidered. The Hon. A. R. Guinne.-s <-ai<l tbat the object of the deputation had his heartfelt sympathy and support. The ola-a^e pen- ! sioners who suffered by the fact that they had made homes for themselves were not i treated alike, .since tlw valuation- were 1 much higher in some placos than in otliers. There was also a difficulty in the act about the interpolation of income. If a man put his money in the bank and drew it out it was ca'led income, but if lie put. ! it in a tinpot and drew it out- it was not Ifo described. He felt very .strongly that ' a man's earnings over Jt3i4 should not reduce his pension. The old people s-hould Le encouraged to york ami earn .something , for their heilth's sake. He suggested that a single man should be allowed to oarn up to 30s by actual work, and a married m.;ii up to 40s without these amounts counting again.-t the-n. Mr Glover (Auckland) nrgc-d that when , certificates of birth were not .-ivailabie to 'support pon-ion clai.ns th-c Government should accept a guarantee fiom a reliable person that he had known the applicant for a certain number of years. Mr Taylor said the object of the deputation was to discuss one question— the exemption of the value of the home of the £en£ion£r.£t j

! Mr G. W. Russell said that the present j regulations led to a lot of subterfuge, and ', it was desirable that the pension should ,be a ckran thing. He stated that the late ;Mr Seddon had expressed himself agreei able t-j an amendment of the bill to exempt the value of the home from calcu- , l^bion, but the amendment could not be ' passed because it was moved by a private I member, and was a matter affecting finance. Mt H. G. Ell warmly supported the main proposal. Surely the Government could afford to spend* £30,000 on these beneficent pensions. Mr A. L. HeTdmaji said that the proposal had his wannest support, and when it came before the House, as he was sure it would very soon, he would be glad to give it his enthusiastic support. Mr D. M'Laren said that in view of the difference of values the disability was specially felt by the old people in the cities, where their burdens were already greater owing to the higher cost of living. Several j+.her speakers supported the request. I Mr Baume urged that if financial reasons woald not "allow the request to b& i granted in full, exemption should be granted for the double house up to £650, and in a corresponding measure for the homes of single men. Sir Joseph Ward said he would be very glad to give the matter consideration. He was in full sympathy with the views put forward if it were possible to do what .was requested in a proper way. As a. matter of fact, he looked into the question some time ago. Mt Taylor had written to him during the recess." ,and he considered the whole cose very fully before going to London", and al=o sin-ce his return. Personally, he would very much like to do something, but he did not know how fax he could go. If he thought a sura of £20,000 per year would meet what the deputation asked for he would be prepared to say yes, but that ?um would not meet it if the £650 limit on a home were conceded. From information in his possession he could cay that the pension payments would be "increased t>y £50,000 per year. It would be seen that he had to be very careful in committing the country to an alteration of that kind. He stated that, as a result of tine alterations made in the Pensions Act in 1908, the pensions payments had increased from £353,000 to £570,000. He was very anxious to do ■what he could, particularly from the point of vie v of those pensioners who were living- in the centres, and he hoped to be r.ble to introduce legislation on practical lines. One point, however, he wished to lefea* to fu'itiitr. A good many old-age ]<ensionei % s5 had relatives in good positions. If th-e present requirement that a pen sioner holding a property worth £650 should transfer it to the Pt'^nc Trustee before a pension was granted was removed the pensioner would simply, transfer it to his relatives at death. Under circumstances like tlicie he did not think it was light for a property to be so handed over. — (" He.ir. hear."') " Wealthy people should support their aged relatives. " I hope." Sir Joseph 6aid in conclusion. "to be able to submit legislation to the House that will meet with the appioval of members on tli.- lines that they have recomniended."