WAR PENSIONS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22183, 29 January 1942, Page 4

WAR PENSIONS

Increases Sought R.S.A. South Island Conference With the object of attaining Dominion unanimity in regard to pension claims, a conference of representatives of branches of the Returned Services’ Association in Canterbury and South Canterbury was held in Timaru yesterday. A similar conference of Otago and Southland branches was held recently at Dunedin The recommendations will be considered by the Special Pensions Committee at Wellington shortly, and then by the Dominion conference of the" R.S.A., from which they will be submitted to the Government. Mr J. G. Duncan, president of the South Canterbury Association, occupied the chair, and the meeting was attended by Messrs O. L. Ferens (Dunedin), E. F. Willcox (Christchurch), N. Colquhoun (Oamaru), S. de Grut (Waimate), A. Harris (Temuka), W. Stark (Kaiapoi), E. Dennis (Rangiora), A. B. Stewart, C. Howe and W. A. Leech (South Canterbury). The purpose of the meeting was to consolidate the views of the Canterbury and South Canterbury branches of the R.6.A. with the views already arrived at by the branches in Otago and Southland in connection with the Special Pensions Committee set up by the executive at the Dominion Council meeting of the R.S.A. at Wellington in October last. The basis of the discussion was the War Pensions Act, 1915, and its amendments to date. The conference was the outcome of a meeting of representatives of the Dunedin, Gore, Invercargill and Oamaru branches which was held at Dunedin. This meeting arrived at certain decisions in connection with the recommendations of the Dominion Council in the setting up of a Special Pensions Committee and these decisions farmed the basis of the discussion yesterday. The meeting was held in committee and the following statement was subsequently released by Messrs Willcox and Ferens:— A unanimous decision was reached on all points brought forward, both in reference to suggested Increases in the basic rate of the war pension, and the widow’s pension and the dependent widowed mother’s pension. Matters closely related to the increase in the basic pension, such as children’s allowance (in certain circumstances), and the economic allowance were also fully considered and recommendations made and a recommendation was also carried unanimously urging a substantial increase in the clothing allowance for all classes of amputees. It wva-s a unanimous decision that men serving in the R.N.Z.A.F., who, on leaving these shores, were transferred to the Royal Air Force, should receive the full benefits of the New Zealand War Pensions Act, 1915, and its amendments. The same applied to men of the Royal New Zealand Navy who were transferred to the Royal Navy. The meeting urged that the New Zealand Government should be responsible for the payment of the difference between the Dominion pension rates and those operating overseas, when the overseas rate was smaller than those prevailing for men of the New Zealand services. The question arose owing to the difference in the New Zealand ?ension rates and those paid by the mperial Ministry of Pensions. Other matters of mutual interest were discussed. Appreciation was expressed at the facilities provided by the South Canterbury Association for the conference.