WAR PENSIONS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13825, 21 July 1915, Page 2

WAR PENSIONS.

COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.

SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH WARD

(From ouv. own Cokhespondent.)

Wellington, July 20. The amendments to the War Pensions Bill recommended by the Secret Defence Committee wore tsbled,in the Houso of .Representatives tiiis afternoon, and subsequeni'ly brought down in the shape of 'amendments to the Bill by Governor's message. The alterations of must interest are those i'o tno Second Scnecmle, which stipulates the maximum rates ■of pensions in case of disablement.. The amended schedule provides ror a uniform pension to di.sa.bied men of all ranks up to / regimental sergeantmajors, regimental quarter.<naster-ser-geaiits, and naval warrant officers of £1 15s per week, instead of, us in the original jßiii, graded pensions of from £1 os for privates to £l lus iur the higher rauKs mejirioneu.

In order to maintain a- rank scale, second-lieutenants (Army) and commissioned warrant oiheers and sublie atenauts (Navy) are recommended to receive £1 1/s 6d a week instead of £1 15s, Lhe'pensions to higher ranks remaining as originally proposed. _ The maximum of aggregate pensions per week is ' Increased tor all ranks to make provision-fora greater number of children 'Avail allowance was made dor in the Bill.

In the case'of privates the maximum aggregate is increased from £3 to £'6 12s (id, while a proportionate increase occurs right. i:p to tilie highest ranks, the maximum aggregate for brigadiers and major-generals, commodores and rear-admirals being raised from £5 9s to £5 15s per week. No alteration is made to th© First Schedule, dealing tv'itdi- pensions in case of death.

Tho pro\ision for the increase of a pension where the services of an attendant are required is struck out. A new clause is added making special provision for the payment to dependents of pensions where a man is facially reported as missing. These pensions are to date- from when the soldier was reported as missing, but in the case of a missing man being subsequently reported living and well, the pensions -shall 'cease, and all amounts paid away may, at the board's discretion, be deducted from the soldier's accumulated pay. The maximum aggregate rates of pension have also been increased. The following are the new maximum rates (the former rates being in parentheses) :—Private (£3) £3 12s 6d, corporal (£3 3s) £3 13s, sevgeant (£3 6s) £3 13s 6d, company sergeant-major (£3 8s) £3 14-s 6d, regimental sergeantmajor (£3 9s) £3 lss lieutenant (£3

16s) £4, captain (£4 3s) £4 ss, major (£4 12s) £4 15e *3d, lieutenant-colonel (£5 3s) £5 9s, colonel (£5 ss) £5 12a, brigadier-goi.ieral or major-general (£5 9s) £5 ss. The- amendments -were reported to the House to-day oy the Prime Minister, as chairman of the Secret Defence Committee.

The speeches heard in the Houso on the second leading were repeated today, many members urging that the pension was still inadequate, £2 weekly being the smallest minimum which would do justice to the- soldiers The Minister of Defence explained that the alterations in scale would add from £20,000 to £25,000 to the annual cost of war'pensions. It was his busi ness to look ahead. If the 12 per cent, disablement basis was provided for, in two years' time New Zealand would have to pay over a million per annum. In urging care, th© Minister asked what Vould happen if the House became hysterical and carried such a scheme as would break down of its own weight. Would they risk repudiation of their obligations ? , ,_ _.„ , Mr Hornsby moved that the Bill be referred back to the Defence Committee on the -ground that the pension :toiwounded soldiers was inadequate. The amendment was ruled out of order, as no alteration could be made except by Governor's message. The debate was dull' and uneventful except for Mr. Vigor Brown's selfsacrificing demand that wealthy brewers should be taxed up to the neck if it was needed to provide a £2 pension. Impassioned, speeches were made by Messrs. Payne and Webb, the latter condemning members for making money their god. Sir Joseph Ward, answering criticism of the Secret Defence Committee, said it was supposed to include men from all sides who could be trusted by the parties. If a-ny side did not trust its representatives, let others be put in their place, and they would find that the Houso would not call it inhuman, but would give it credit for a sincere desire to give everything within the limits at the disposal of the country. It was very well to talk about putting it on to beer or. something else even if it cost two millions, but other b«rdens had to be remembered, and the advocates of millions should also consider the fact that all our borrowings came from the same source. The idea had been to provide a pension, not to ensure that a returning .soldier avouM be placed in as good a position as before he went away. The critics did not realise that a man with a family could get £188 10s per annum; or £91 for himself and £32 10s for his wife if he had no children, a total of £123 10s. Was not a sum of a million a year in round figures a very heavy task for the Minister of Finance to find for pensions alone? Wlu> could say what the condition of this country would bo in two years r But for the fact that we were a great exporting country we should have felt the effect of the war very greatly already. (Hear, hear.) It was a. time for every thoughtful man to think not only for to-day but for two or three years ahead. The buoyancy and resourcefulness of this country and the magnificent energies of the people of this country were undeniable, but he was convinced they were going as far as possible in the best and truest

interests of the country and its soldiers. As to the criticisms passed on the Defence Committee, ho had the interests jof the men as much at heart as any--1 one, and he considered some of the reI marks passed as an insult upon the members of the committee. Mr. Isitt complained that the members did not quite deserve the severe castigatibn of the Leader of the Opposition. . Mr. Hornsby, speaking at 12.45, defended his attitude in advocating a further revision <?f the schedule. He1 was not going to be debarred by the party leader from pressing the clamis of the soldiers.. Thfi debate had nob concluded when the telegraph office closed.