Old Age Pensions.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11823, 21 November 1901, Page 2

Old Age Pensions.

There have been for some time sus picions ' that the old age pensioi scheme has been taken advantage oi by persons who are in a position tc go without' such assistance, and fo. whom it was never intended. Thi Premier was so far impressed witl this view that last session he intro duced a Bill to 'amend-'the Old Agt Pensions Act', 1898, providing -safe guards against the abuses indicated. This measure, has v become; Jaw, v ( anc is to form part' "of and is'to qe reao together with the said Act. The operative clauses are; to the t following effect- :-r-oii /the receipt of .'any application for a' pension or a renewa. I certificate, the clerk of the court (where he is not himself deputy reg*:' istror) is to .notify, the deputy registrar of the fact arid' of the date fixjed for the hearing of- the application, and the deputy registrar oj some person appointed by A him is tc have the right to ' appear 'at tht tearing and, to examine or cross-ex-amine- the applicant.- Thel'lde^utj registrar may cause "a preliminary , enquiry to be made on any applica tion, and at every such enquiry ii will be the duty of every parson cited to moke true answers to all questions concerning any applicant, foi la tension or" renewal, jbr dny' of the statements contained, in any appli cation, which may; be put to. him b> the deputy registrar ■or any ofticei authorised on that behalf. Ever} person ,is declared commit rai offence - who * refuses to answer anj 'such question or make* svny answei knowing tho same to bo untrue These provisions, it is specially en • .acted, are to apply to any officer ol any bank or other corporation carrying on business in New Zealand, and to ,any officer the Post Ofliu Sayings'i.Bank, or of any other Goveijhm'ent^pWarjbment, which recei yes .'investments -of money from' tin public. On the healing of any ap plication -for a. pension or renewa .certificate^" 'if ' the magistrate findthat any -real or <propert;» (has been, %rkitefer:i-ed;^ liy ciift anii cant to any person, he is authoris ,ed to inquire into such ' transfer, ant . refuse the application or grant a reduced pension. If at any time thi .pensioner, 1 becomes .possessed ,of anj j property or income in .excess o, J what is i allowed, bylaw jbn. respect to th,e .' amount . ,of pension, the de puty registrar may apply to tht magistrate, Who may,, oh inquiry 1 , either confirm or cancel the- pension, ' or, -vary the amount thereof. Shouk the excess of income coas^, tho pcn 1 isioti is to be immediately restoret to the original amount. If on tht death of any pensioner, ox of the wife or husband of a - pensioner, it ' U found that either of them Wapossessed of property in excess oi ; what" is allowed by law, double tht amount of the pension at any time so paid-in excess of that to whicr the pensioner was by law entitled may be recovered as a debt due tc the , Crown from the estate; provided that where husband and wife were at tho tipie of :;:icu >'.<-n ,\i i-v/ng apart, pursuant to •lecruc order oi de"dd of separation, this last provi sign is only to apply in the oise of the -pensioner. It is declared an of fence, under the Act to receive anj money in consideration of or in re uptfet of tho procuring f of any pension "or renewal certificate. A gene-.! ral' penally is proscribed, for offences ui^der the Act; every person so offending 'is liable to a find not exceeding £10. In the Bill* as introduced there was a clause providing that pn the hearing of any, application for a pension or renewal cerU- | iicate~ tho magistrate snould inquire as to the circumstances of the sons and daughters ' of the applicant, and if, in his opinion,' those circumstances auo such as not to warrant the granting of a pension, or if on such inquiry he finds that any real loi " personal property has been transferred by the applicant^ to any such son or daughter, he may in his discrc1 tion refuse the application, or grant such reduced pension as he thinks k fair and just. This clause was 1 so materially modified in- Committee of the House that under the Act the magistrate is not coip > .v jiv.d to in-, quire into the circumstances of thesons or \da-ughters of the arplicani otherwise than as to whether siuch applicant has transferred any real or personal property to them. The abuse, consequently, may continue to be perpetrated, and we believe it is by no means uncommon, of persons who have near relatives well-to-do s|<onrfing on the n< v:-ion fund for the j£LB a year.— Lyteltvn Times.

In many colonial houses the lady of the house does all the work of the household.. All honour to them. It is the true spirit of Anglo-Saxon colonisation which animates them, and there is nothing derogatory in honest labour. Whatever minimises the disagreeable effects of such work may be regarded as a boon to tho fair sex, and of this nature .is Wilt° n * s Hand. Emollient, which, regularly u'sod. keeps the hands white, soft ! nnd cool- Price,- Is <6d per jar. Sold by A. E. Sykes and all chemists. WholeBale ; Kenrtpthorne, Prosser and Co.°