WAR VETERANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 119, 23 May 1932, Page 7

WAR VETERANS

COST TO CANADA. BsBOAD AND GENEROUS. VANCOUVER, April 27. The care of Canada’s veterans of the Great War costs this dominian in the vicinity of £11,000,000 a year. The total paid out to date is £120,000,000. The largest item is £9,600,000 annually paid out for war pensions. Relief to unemployed war pensioners, grants to ex-scrvico men, whom advancing years and sickness, not directly attributable to war service, have removed from the labour market, and other expenditures connected with the care and examination. of pension applicants and exsoldier patients raise the amounts spent to £11,000,000. Canadian- legislation in connection with the ex-service men is broad, generous, and sympathetic. Over a period of years statutes have been evolved which, in large measure, have eliminated the painful grievances of the veteran, ami which express the determination of the country that justice be done to those who served Canada and the Empire. What complaints are directed against, the operation of these statutes concern themselves here, as in other dominions, with the machinery which the Pensions Act de velopcd, and which has proved to be rot ;uitc so rapid as was hoped. But those in whom is vested the administration of the Act are seized with the importance of remedying complaints, and the situation is well in hand.

Pensions and Relict. Pension payments are graduated, first in respect of disability, and second in respect of the former rank of the pensioner. Consideration is also had for the married or unmarried state of the pensioner. For example, a private soldier, married, with two dependent children, ami awarded a pension for 100 per cent, disability, receives £25 8s a month. This amount is made up of £l5 for disability, £5 for the wife, £3 for the first child, and £2 8s for the second. An extra £2 a month is paid for each additional dependent child. This scale is stationary up to the rank of lieutenant. From then on, it is graduated higher. Relief to unemployed war pensioners, which cost Canada £400,000 last year, is granted to those whose pension rating is too low to furnish them with sufficient, to support them. The other, and chief consideration, is, of course, that these men bo unemployed. The relief is not tendered in cash, but in the form or orders for groceries and coal. Householders are paid in cheques for their rent bills. The scale of assistance depends on the size of the pension received. Grants 10 veterans who have become “burned out” is made under authority of the War Veterans’ Allowance Act, passed in 1930. It makes the Oldage Pension Act available to ex-sol-diers at the age of sixty. It also grants those who have become unfitted fur employment an allowance of £4 a month (unmarried) and £8 a month (married, with a dependent wife). Last year this cost £lBO.OOO, the grant being paid to between 3000 and 4000 men. This year £260,000 has been voted for it. For the care of patients and medical examinations in the departmental hospitals £455,000 was spent last year.