PENSIONS CLAIMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1919, Page 5

PENSIONS CLAIMS.

FAILURE TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION. Chnißtchurch, May 1-b At the Magistrate's Court to-day the Pensions Department proceeded against a woman for the non-disclosure of certain particulars when making a claim under the War Pensions Act in respect to the death of her soldier son, Mr Gilfedder, Registrar of Pensions, said that defendant, in making a declaration, had not disclosed that her husband was earning £3 per week. Mr Gilfedder added that proceedings were sot instituted from any motivo of vindictive&esn, but rather as a warning to the public that breaches of the Act could not be tolerated by the department. There seemed to be an impression that the giving of wrong information was the only offence. That? was not the caae. The non-disclosure of material facts constituted an offence, and it would be impossible for the department to administer the various Asts if particulars required were withheld or suppressed. This referred to all pensions of war widows, and old age, military, arid miners' pensions, 'He also mentioned that the department on occasion had'been subjected to adverse criticism on'account of particulars and information required not being forthcoming. For the defence it was stated that the woman was under mental distress at the time, and did not intend to flecelve the department. The magistrate said he was satisfied that there had been no intention to mis- j lo'id the department, and dismissed the case. At Jthe same time he thought the prosecution was quite justified. There was no doubt that a certain section of the public had an idea that all sorts of wild statements could be made with impunity, and he hoped that the present nrosccution would show such was not the case.