WAR VETERANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 107, 7 May 1936, Page 8

WAR VETERANS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER THE PENSION PROBLEM [ Per Press Association. I WELLINGTON, May 6. A deputation of the South African I War Veterans’ Association asked the Hon. W. E. Parry to-day for the assistance of an art union in order to purchase a block of land at Tauranga on which to build hutments to house South African veterans unable to care for themselves in the cities. They also asked the Government to restore the annual grant of £250 to the association. The Hon. Parry, replying, said that he was not enthusiastic about the scheme. The problem of old age could not be solved by building communal homes and expecting old age and others to be satisfied. The only I solution for old age was to give the ' men and women an income that would !i enable them to live decently. War ( veterans and old people were just as 1 much entitled to a home as the averi age man. The Minister said the pensions problem was a tremendous one. | If he reduced the age of those eligible for the pension from 65 to 60 years | and increased th? pension by 2s fid per week it would cost £1,000,000. If be gave pensions to the 17.000 invalids it would cost £1,500,000. It was all verv well to say that the Government should do this and that, hut the problem was not easy. He had proposals before him now and if he was able to ! put them into operation step by step !in the next three years he would be ! ver . v happy. H e promised to consider j restoring the £250 grant. 1 ———