THE Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1903. OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 4017, 28 February 1903, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1903. OLD AGE PENSIONS.

The Old Age Pensions Act is one of the most humane measures that ever passed a Legislative Assembly, and consequently it is greatly to he regretted that it is being abused. People resortf to all sorts of artifices to get more money. It was said when it was before Parliament that it was a system of charitable aid, and that consequently self-respecting, people would not avail themselves of it. The fact is, however, that people who ought to be .self-respecting do not hesitate to deceive the Court in order to get the money. It frequently occurs that people who ought not to get it, and who can live very well without it, secure it, with the result that the annual charge on the Consolidated Revenue is getting a very heavy burden. We do not feel it now because of the prosperous condition of the colony, but if ever a time of depression comes the Old Age Pensions will be found a serious burden. If only those who really want it got it no one would begrudge it no matter what it cost, hut unfortunately very frequently cases crop up where the Magistrates have been deceived into granting pensions to persons who are not entitled to them. This is what is rendering the Act objectionable, and it is in the hope of lessening the evil and preventing fraud that the Government arc issuing fresh regulations for the guidance of those administering the Act. The regualtions appear in the last issue of the Government Gazette, of which it covers many pages. Many of the . regulations are of a technical nature, and wauld not interest the general reader, hut the following will show that the Government mean to prevent fraud as far as possible. Regulation 16 reads as follows “ If, in the course of the investi- “ gation, the Magistrate considers “ that further evidence on any sped- “ fic matter is necessary, he may “ authorise an officer of his Court, or “ any other fit person, to inqiaire in- “ to the same, and may accept the “ result of such inquiry as evidence. “ For the purposes of such iniquity “ the person, so appointed shall have “ free access to—- “ (a.) The registers of the Land “ Transfer and Deeds Registration “ Offices for the purpose of search- “ ing title to land ; and also to “ (b.)'The records of the Supreme “Court for the purpose of search- “ ing instruments registered under “ ‘ The Chattels Transfer Act, “ 1899 and also to “ (c.) The district valuation roll “ under ‘The Government Valuation “ of Land Act, 1896,’ for the pur- “ pose of ascertaining the particu- “ lars and valuation of landed pro“perty ; and also to “ (d.) The registers and records of “ the Registrar-General’s Depart- “ ment, for the purposes of infor- “ mation relating to births, deaths, “ marriages, or ages ; and also to “ (e.) The records of the Native “ Land Courts and the Native Land “ Purchase Officers ; and also to “ (f.) The records of the Stamp “ Department relating to deceased “persons’ estates; and also to “ (g.) All real and personal property of the claimant, and, all “ hooks, vouchers, and documents

“ relating to such property or to “ his income, for the purpose of “ assessing the same. “It shall be the duty of all of- “ fleers of the aforesaid Departments “ and offices, and of any bank, insur- “ ance company, or other corporation “ carrying on business in New Zea- “ land, and of all officers of the “ Post-Office Savings-Bank,and of any “ other Government Department “ which receives investments of “ money from the public, to make “ true answers to all such questions, “ and to afford, without fee, all .such “ information to the person so ap- “ pointed as may reasonably be rc- “ quired for the purpose of prosecut- “ ing such inquiry as aforesaid. “ The power oi inquiry and search “ hereby given shall be limited to “ specified pensioners or applicants ‘5 for pensions, and shall not be con- “ strued as authorising any general “ search or inquiry. Prom this it will be seen that very wide powers are put into the hands - of the officers administering the Act, and, in addition to this, the powers of the Magistrate as to the class of evidence he shall receive arc greatly widened. With these extended powers we have great hopes that the Act will be administered fairly and honestly by the officers entrusted with its administration. There can be no doubt that i,t has been abused, and the very knowledge that this abuse was taking- 1 place had disappointed many sincere friends of the measure. Many members of Parliament who had voted for it, and were sincerely in favour of it, felt that this abuse could not go on, and consequently there existed a risk of it being greatly modified if not repealed altogether. The Act is not constructed on the principle that “ God helps those who help themselves its aim is to help those who cannot help themselves, and consequently its safety lies in maintaining its original intention. There are those who would give pensions to rich and poor alike, but that would in crease the annual cturge on uie consolidated revenue to such an extent that the country would not stand it and the Act would then be repci Ud. To prevent fraud, Iheiefore, is ihe surest way to keep the act in existence, and the new legujinmiis o acted upon vdl go along wav *n that direction. There will no doubt he instances of ucceotion even sljil, tiut when public offivers are a'Mhor.nH to search in such a far-ieac n> g mam it very Utile wuundoing vVTiI ta>e place.,