DEATH OF BREADWINNER

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1927, Page 9

DEATH OF BREADWINNER

WHAT SUM COMPENSATES? THE BASK OF COMPUTATION. CASE IN ARBITRATION COURT. By Tclegribn.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. While working during the last Christmas holidays on the roof of the Wakefield Street powerhouse, a labourer named John Robertson fell through a skylight and died shortly afterwards from the effects of the accident. To-day in the Arbitration Court, Peter Murray Robertson, father of the deceased, claimed compensation against the City Council on the ground of partial dependency. Evidence was given to the effect that Robertson, who was earning £4 7s Id a week, resided with his parents, to whom he gave £2 a week on an average. He was a single man and was not contemplating marriage.

Dealing with the principle on which the court worked in regard to cases of partial dependency, His Honour said that until some years ago the Act provided that three years’ contribution should be paid as the amount of compensation in all cases. An amendment had been made to the Act whereby the question of compensation was left entirely to the discretion of the court. The court had found it difficult to make equal assessment in all cases, and for many years past had worked on the | basis of the three years’ principle. fi’he court, he added, had dealt with cases where a man in his forties was the sole support of his mother. When a man was unmarried at that age it was reasonable to assume that he would continue to support his mother until her death. The amount in such cases was always increased. On the other hand a man in the twenties was more likely to marry, in which case the three years’ term was reduced to one year or eighteen months. According to the evidence compensation was awarded in the sum qf £l2O, £26 10s funeral and hospital expenses, and £6 6s costs.