£70,000 IS SPENT EACH YEAR ON ECONOMIC PENSIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17864, 4 June 1926, Page 15

£70,000 IS SPENT EACH YEAR ON ECONOMIC PENSIONS.

DISABLED MEN SHOULD BE GIVEN WORK, R.S.A. SAYS Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. June 3. The employment of disabled exsoldiers is one of the matters in which the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association is keenly interested on behalf of those concerned. The annual report of the association states that it is too early yet to arrive at any definite conclusions as to whether or not the scheme approved by the Pensions and Labour Departments, which was put into active operation last February, is proving successful. So far, however, it could be said definitely that notices from the Pensions Department as to alterations in grants of economic pension had contained more renewals of grants than cancellations. “The fact of some £70,000 being expended annually in the form of economic pensions for which the Government obtains no return by way of services,” states the report, “is as tinpalatable to the recipients of the money as it is to the general taxpayer. Surely if the Government can expend such a sum for no return it can expend a further amount in an endeavour to provide vacancies or useful work for the permanent employment of the majority of the men concerned The executive standing subcommittee has recently heard of two avenues for the employment of disabled soldiers in co-operative efforts, and it intends going thoroughly into the matter at the first opportunity.”