EX-SOLDIERS’ PENSIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1930, Page 11

EX-SOLDIERS’ PENSIONS

COMMISSION INVESTIGATES

DOMINION’S POSITION REVIEWED.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE FUNDS.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, May 9.

The report now issued by the Exsoldiers’ Rehabilitation Commission covers 26 printed pages. The witnesses examined numbered 166. The committee makes the following recommendations, for all of which legislation will be necessary:— (1) A reduction in the age of eligibility for the old-age pension for South African War veterans.

(2) A reduction in the age for eligibility for the old-age pension for exsoldiers. »

(3) The abolition of the time limit as an element in the qualification of certain wives as “dependents” and the right of appeal for a wife whose application for a pension as a dependent is refused.

(4) The abolition.,ol the time limit as an element in the qualification of certain widows as dependents and to repeat the proviso that certain widows shall receive a gratuity instead of a

pension. (5) The abolition of the time limit of seven years in which “probability” may be invoked as evidence of “attributability.” (6) The formation and incorporation of a Soldiers’ Civil Re-cstablishment League. (7) Discretionary power in the Minister to allow war pensions to certain New Zealand soldiers who served with other British forces. (8) .The extension of the benefits of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act and the Repatriation Act in certain cases to British ex-soldiers other than New Zealanders. The committee also 'recommends that the grants of economic pensions to mental patients should be left to the discretion of the league. , •, HOW LONG WILL FUND LAST? t ;As to the life of funds available to meet necessitous cases, nothing definite can be stated. All that can be said Is that some similar funds have been •exhausted, some ' arc approaching exhaustion, and a few of them are expected to last more than ten years. The length of, time thdt will elapse before the money of the War Funds Council is exhausted will, depend, on the extent of. calls on it by other bodies aA their : funds become exhausted. ;The present policy of the. Canteen Fund trustees is to reserve their funds to- stand behind the War Funds Council as'a final source of supply. To question three, “to inquire and report upon generally the means by which the remaining capacity of such persons as aforesaid can best be utilised so as to enable them in whole or in part to .maintain themselves and their dependents and -• the advisability or otherwise ,of adopting any particular means which, may -be.'proposed to or by you for that purpose,” no effective answer can be given even in general terms without first making an occupational classification of persons affected under the heading. The commission discusses special farming schemes, unskilled labour, artisans and skilled tradesmen, messengers, porters and liftmen, and underrate workers, and suggests that euch cases should be left to the discretion of the aforementioned league. Question four was to inquire into and report in relation to cases where no means were likely to enable such persons to be able by their own efforts partially or wholly, to maintain themselves and their dependents, and to discuss means of affording assistance to them. - DISABILITY NOT DUE TO WAR. The commission finds that the cases *ll into two classes. The first comprises pensioners under. Ne.w Zealand’s own Pensions Act, and. the Commission considers the provision for those totally, disabled is adequate. Ae , to pension.-, era whose total' disability is not entirely due to war service,, the commission thinks that some anomalies may be cleared away and foi ; extra sustenance they should look to war funds. As to tlie second, class, who. are nonpensioners,, they Jail into two. sub-divi-siohe —those .whesete total inability to maintain themselves is not attributable to war service and- those whose inability is due to infirmities} and old age. The commission considers that the first sub-division must, also look to war funds, and as to the second sub-division the recommendation is that the league should apply the provisions under the Rest Houses Act of 1929. . Question five was to consider the classes of persons who should come within the scope of recommendations ar . principle's governing such classifications. The answer is: “Our recommendations may be briefly summarised as those relating to pen-, along cottage homes, veterans’ homes, settlement on land, and settlement in business, including in ea . of, . these ca'sefi advances for undertaking special vocational training ’ and provisions .for. assistance Oi l: the employment of 'officers.” '■

EX-IMPERIAL ME& ‘EXCLUDED.

•The commission does not consider exImperial soldiers should, come under war pension provisions ■on the ground that each part of the Empire must look after ita own men. The committee makes an exception, however, in favour of New Zealanders compelled by circumst nces to enlist under conditions which technically excluded them from New Zealand pension statutes and quotes several canes of hardship. The commission also coneidcres that all ex-service-men from any part of the Empire now settled in the Dominion should be entitled to the advantages of the provision for settlement on the land or in business if they can give sufficient assurance to the league that they have a reasonable chance of succeeding. Question six referred merely to the legislation that might be necessary. Six questions were submitted to the commission. Replying to the first question as to what the present condition and circumstances of persons affected were, their approximate number and nature, and their disabilities, the commission stated that the average age of •these lay probably between 38 and 45, while some are as old as 70. Many understated their ages when joining the forces, and their war .experience had an unsettling tendency and a particularly

bad effect. When it was sought to repatriate them they never found a place in the economic industrial ma-; chine, but drifted from casual work to. casual work, and it was only now when' approaching the average age mentioned that the deepest anxiety and despair was being felt at the prospects for the future, not only for themselves, but for their wives and children. This anxiety was breaking.the nerves of the men 1 and thus deteriorating material- which' it was desirable that they should endeavour. to rehabilitate In general terms.their circumstances might be de-i scribed as on “the bread and butter”, line. Their number was about 5000 and their disabilities generally were .due ter war wounds and impaired health, due to! wdr services. ' ' ;

In reply to question two as '■ to the ■adequacy .of pensions, no recommendation is made-to increase the pensions to veterans of the Maori War, South African veterans number about 4000, and the commission does not recommend the request’ of the South African Veterans’ Association that service pensions of £5O per annum be paid to all such veterans irrespective of health or financial standing, and purely as a reward for services in South Africa.'or a similar pension do all such veterans on attaining the age ol 65 years,, but does recommend a reduction of the age for eligibility for the old-age pension in the case of such veterans from 65 to 60. yeaj-s. . " ;

i-The classes _pf , cases, arising out of the Great War are discussed in considerable detail. For such cases the: maj 1 jor r&iommendation of the ‘ cbmmissioni embraces ■ the formation of a Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment League and the -administration of the eeono'mic pensions scheme in conjunction wifi this league. This league, with its branches in every centre, will know the nicn who aro the subjects of the present problem and will have employment and rehabilitation officers in touch with them and with the executive of the league. As to those men with 50 per cent, disability or over, the league’s officers, with full knowledge of individual men, will report: “These men are unemployable; they are unable to support themselves, and we recommend them for the full economic pension.” As to the others, their cases as potential pensioners will be considered by the league in connection with its efforts to find work. The league’s committees will have knowledge of all these men, they will know their capabilities, they will know the work they are fitted for, and the work they are doing, and they will therefore be able not only to take into account the economic factors in the lives of these men, but largely to govern and control these factors, and their policy will be to reduce the need for pensions by increasing the economic and earning factors in each man’s life. The commission recommends that as a general principle the finding and recommendation of an appropriate committee of tho league should . fix, a man’s .right to the economic' pcTmCi’V'