OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 3

OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

NEW PROPOSALS. RECIPROCITY WITH AUSTRALIA. (From Ouu Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 22. A Bill consolidating the existing pensions laws and embodying very important modifications in principle was introduced in the House this afternoon. Tlie Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said that the Bill provided for the pensions for women beginning at the ago of 60. The scale would bo £2l per year at 60, £22 at 61, £25 at 62, £24 at 65, £25 at 64, and the full pension of £26 at 65.

Hon. members, he said, on both sides of the House would be glad to notice that this Bill was the first stop in connection with the Government's pension scheme towards removing altogether the disqualification of income and property. The holder of the military pension in future would receive £56 per year, regardless of his having property or not. The pension scheme already in operation, ho continued, had unfortunately been built upon a wrong basis, and it would cost an enormous amount of money to revise the system and put it upon a true basis. Ho hoped that ultimately that would be done. A step in that direction was the removal of the impost that was put upon the old-age-pensioner at present by taxing him to the value of his little cottage or homo. Provision was also made in the Bill for allowing a man if ho had resided at any time or 40 years in the country to got the pension provided he had lived in the dominion for 12 months previous to the date of his application. A further important concession in the Bill was that they had cut out the scheme of calculating the amount of money a minor received from the miners’ relief fund when he was indigent or sick, and counting it in as income, and so depriving him of the pension. In a brief discussion which ensued very hearty approval was expressed with the provisions of the Bill.

A further Bill was introduced under the title “ An Act to ratify an agreement between the Commonwealth and Now Zealand, providing for reciprocity in the matter of old ago pensions.” The Hon. Mr Fisher said that the object of the Bill was to make provision for persons who had resided in Australasia for such a length of time as would entitle them to a pension either in Australia or New Zealand. Applicants must reside in the country in which they claimed the pension for at least 12 months before making application. The cost of defraying the pensions was to be borne by the Commonwealth and New Zealand, the liability of the respective countries to be based upon the estimated population of each country at the end of each year. Mr Davey asked if any account was taken as to the ” period spent by the applicant in either country. Mr Fisher: No, that was not taken iato account. The position was that for ovsry pension granted New Zealand would one-seventh of the cost, irrespective of the length of residence It was also provided that at the end of five yearn the agreement might bo revised, because tlie cost wotiH be such an unknown quantity that an opportunity should ho afforded for revision or adjustment of the financial liability. The pensioner would bo paid rates prevailing in the State in which ho resided. In response to an application from Mr Seddon, Mr Fisher said that a similar Bill would bo introduced in the Federal Parliament. The Act in New Zealand would not conic into operation till it was gazetted, and it would not be gazetted til! the Australian Act was passed.