WAR PENSIONS

Southland Times, Issue 19656, 5 October 1922, Page 5

WAR PENSIONS

THE COMMISSION’S PROCEEDINGS. CASE FOR THE R.S.A. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 4. The Commission appointed to enquire into the working of the legislation regarding war pensions is now sitting. The case for the Returned Soldiers’ Association was presenterl by Messrs Smith and Seymour. After dealing with various anomalies in the administration of pensions, Mr Smith said he recognised that great difficulty was experienced in arriving at fixed principles for the assessment of pen-

sions, and contended that each case ought to he dealt with according to the man’s occupation and capacity to work. He also considered that pensions should be higher and mentioned that the number of totally disabled soldiers receiving over £2 weekly was 1749, and of this number, 1067 got £3 10s weiildy. There were also 622 totally disabled men receiving not more than £2 weekly. The following claims were submitted for consideration by the Commission: (1) Increase of the pension allowed for the soldier himself, his widow with child or children, and his widowed mother. (2) The widow’s pension not to be reduced if the child is continuing its education and not. earning money itself. (3) The principle of the pension rising and falling according to the cost of living on a triennial basis. (4) The granting of clothing allowances for limbless men. (51 The establishment of a general apjjeal board. (6) The safeguarding of the pension of a soldier convicted of any offence so as to ensure that, there is no double punishment for the same offence. (7) The non-liability of war pensions for income tax. (8) The right of a soldier’s widow to a pension whether he was married before or after enlistment. (9) The abolition of the limitation of seven years within which death due to war injuries must occur to entitle the widow to a pension. Evidence was given on behalf of the RJxA. by Mr Lander, who is in charge of the artificial limb factory’. He said he had had the supervision of 207 cases of lower limb amputation, 96 of upper limb, 11 of mutilated feet, and 41 of mutilated hands. .Artificial limbs caused much wear of the clothing in leg cases. The allowance on this account should be £lO per year for the upper leg and £8 for tire lower leg amputation, £3 for artificial arms and additional amounts for men with very heavy appliances. Other witnesses supported the claims from their own experience, storing Mr Lander’s estimates were too low. Alexander F. Roberts, a director of Murray, Roberts and Co., said that he considered tjtot permanently disabled men were entitled to a pension at least equal to the wages of an unskilled labourer. 'The majority of the taxpayers did not object, to income tax for war pensions, but be suggested that a proportion sixpence in the pound be specially set aside for war pensions. Taxpayers objected to paying for things which could he reduced, but they did not wish to benefit their own pockets at the expense of wax pensions. Alexander Gray, K.G., agreed, and added that widows and children should not, suffer because the father sacrificed himself in the ! interests of his country. The claims of the N.Z.R.S.A. were reasonable altogether. J. D. Harper, re-called, said that in minor offences the pensions should not be touched. While a man was in prison his pension should be paid to his dependents. Mr Seymour, for the R.S.A., submitted that a disablement pension should not be touched in any circumstance. Colonel Pow, general secretary of the R.S.A., urged that an increase was necessary on the 1915 scale and also a cost of living increase. Tho new claims would amount to £298.000 annually, but there wotild be natural decreases of roughly £200,000 annually. Last year j>ensions totalled £1,513, 000. ‘ The Commistiion adjourned until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday.