OLD-AGE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT (SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE), FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1905.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1905 Session I, H-18

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1905. NEW ZEALAND.

OLD-AGE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT (SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE), FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1905.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 62 of " The Old-age Pensions Act, 1898."

The Registrar of Old-age Pensions to the Right Hon. the Colonial Treasurer. Sir,— Old-age Pensions Department, Wellington, 17th, July, 1905. I have the honour to submit herewith my report on the working of the Department for the financial year ended the 31st March, 1905. Pensions in P'okce. As a direct result of the introduction in 1.903 of the new system of investigation, whereby the position of all pensioners on the books, as well as of original claimants, is investigated by a set of inquiry forms before the Magistrate is asked to adjudicate, there was during the year ended the 31st March, 1904, a substantial decrease in the number of pensioners on the roll. For ihe year just ended a further reduction has to be recorded, the number of pensioners on the 31st March, 1905, standing at 11,770, being 156 less than at the close of the previous year, and 1,006 less than on the 31st March, 1902, when the number was at its highest since the inauguration of the scheme—namely, 12,776. It might be supposed from this continued drop in the number of participants in the scheme that the natural decrease by death is each year exceeding the natural increase of incoming pensioners, but I desire to lay particular stress upon the fact that this is not so. The time when the outgo will equalise the new grants may arrive in the future, but it is not yet in sight. When it is stated that the number of new grants since the 3ist March, 1902, has exceeded the number of deaths by no less than a total of 782, as shown hereunder, it will at once be recognised that the natural tendency is towards an increase rather than to a reduction in the number of pensions. The figures are as follows: — Year ended 31st March, New Grants. Deaths. Natural increase. 1903 ... ... ... 1,391 1,064 327 1904 ... ... ... 1,063 928 135 1905 ... ... ... 1,210 890 320 782 It may be assumed, therefore, that had there been nothing to counteract this natural increase, the number of pensioners to-day would have been 782 more than it was in 1902 — i.e., something exceeding 13,500—whereas the number actually on the books is 11,770. What really accounts for the marked decrease is the fact that during the past three years as many as 1,788 pensioners have been removed from the rolls for reasons other than by death, due to the close system of investigation already referred to. I cannot, however, guarantee any further appreciable decrease; in fact, I am of opinion that bed-rock has just about been reached, and I look upon an increased expenditure for the ensuing year as a certainty. As indicating what has to be expected in the matter of an increase in the number of pensioners in the near future, I submit herewith a set of figures taken from the last census returns of 1901. These returns show that on the 31st March, 1901, there were, exclusive of Maoris, 26,563 persons sixty-five years of age and upwards and

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twenty-five years and ever resident in the colony, of which number 11,307 were pensioners, the proportion being at the rate of 42 per cent. On the same date there were also 3,537 persons 64 years of age and 24 years in the colony. 3,602 „ 63 „ 23 3,831 „ 62 „ 22 3,532 „ 61 „ 21 5,978 „ 60 „ 20 4,180 „ 59 „ 19 4,676 „ 58 „ 18 4,567 „ 57 „ 17 5,277 „ 56 „ 16 5,030 „ 55 „ 15 Making allowance, fhen, for deaths obtained from figures for the past five years supplied by the Registrar-General, the estimated number of persons who have been eligible in each year since 1901 is approximately as follows, the number of European pensioners and the proportion to those eligible also being shown: — On 31st March, Population eligible by European Percentage. *"■"'"• Age,and Residence. Pensioners. B 1901 ... ... 26,563 11,307 42 1902 ... ... 27,993 11,721 41 1903 ... ... 29,384 11,589 39 1904 ... ... 30,890 11,197 36 1905 ... ... 32,013 11,138 35 These figures show that there has been a decrease in the proportion of pensioners to persons eligible from 42 per cent, in 1901 to 35 per cent, in 1905. Further estimates of the European population becoming eligible during the next five years, based upon last census returns and the Registrar-General's figures as to deaths above referred to, as well as upon the Department's own mortality experience, are as follows: — On 31st March, 1906 ... ... ... 35,332 (estimated). 1907 ... ... ... 36,747 1908 ... ... ... 38,524 1909 ... ... ... 40,075 1910 ... ... ... 42,178 It will thus be seen that the number of people becoming eligible by age and residence each is increasing, and, even if there is no increase in the present percentage of pensioners namely, 35 per cent. (I do not think that it will decrease)- -the number of participants must necessarily increase correspondingly with the increased population becoming eligible each year. One thing which must be borne in mind in connection with the present low percentage is the fact that for a number of years past the colony has enjoyed undoubted prosperity, and, while the period of good seasons is with us, it is to be expected that the number of claimants will be reduced to a minimum. But it is not in my power to estimate, in the event of a wave of depression unfortunately overtaking us, how many of the thousands not now on the roll who are eligible by age and residence, and who are earning their .£52 a year and more, which sum renders them ineligible, would be compelled by force of circumstances caused by dearth of employment to claim what the law provides is their undoubted right —the pension. It is certain that the number of such would be considerably more than most people imagine, and I venture to say, safeguarded though we are by the searching inquiry that is insisted on in all claims, that the percentage which is now practically at a minimum would rapidly reach the maximum percentage recorded--namely, 42 per cent. Regarding the system adopted by the Department in the investigation of all applications for the pension, which has now been in vogue two full years, it will no doubt give satisfaction to you, as it does to myself, to read the opinions of the Stipendiary Magistrates in the four chief centres of population on the working of the same. The opinions referred to are herewith appended, and speak for themselves: — Sir, — Magistrate's Court, Wellington, 4th July, 1905. I have much pleasure in replying to yours concerning old-age-pension claims. The new system of investigation introduced in 1903, whereby a claimant's statements are verified by means of inquiry-forms attached to the claim-form before being submitted to the Magistrate, has, in my experience, worked most satisfactorily. I find no difficulty in adjudicating upon the claims presented to me, and this, in my opinion, is due to the new system, which is thorough and practical, .and which is to be feared by those only who are not straight in their applications. Yours faithfully, The Registrar, Old-age Pensions Department. A. McArthur, S.M. The Magistrate's Office, Auckland, 11th July, 1905. Re Old-age Pension Claims. Your letter of the 7th instant (No. 05/1568) duly received. I find the inquiry-forms of the greatest assistance. They save the Magistrate a great deal of time, give detailed and accurate information, and cause a full inquiry to be made into matters that might occasionally be overlooked. Registrar of Old-age Pensions, Department. R. W. Dyer, S.M.

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Magistrate's Office, Christchurch, 11th July, 1905. * IR > Re Old-age Pension Claims. t. w\v V-T 6 th £ hon °J» to ackuowled g e th e receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, addressed •°* j j • q- ' ' asklng for an °P inion on the working of the system of investigation introduced in 1903. 6 As Mr. Bishop has been called away to Dunedin on a Royal Commission, he has requested me The use of inquiry forms has greatly facilitated the work of the Magistrate when investigating After their introduction, on the hearing of applications for renewal, they have been the means, in many instances, of showing that pensioners had in the past either undervalued or had not disclosed the possession of property. In one case which came before me at Kumara they indirectlybrought to light the fact that a man who had been in receipt of a pension for some time was not even sixty years of age. I do not think the life-insurance companies have given the inquiries proper attention, as in several cases where the applicant has possessed a life policy the replies have been to the effect that the policy could not be traced. The action of your Department in making inquiries as to age of claimants, either in the Old Country or in the Commonwealth, in order to assist claimants in proving their age, has been greatly appreciated, as in some cases without such assistance it would have been almost impossible for the applicants to submit the necessary proof of age. The results have fully justified the institution and use of the inquiry-forms. I have, &c, The Registrar of Old-age Pensions, Wellington. Victor Grace Day, S.M. SIR ' — " The Magistrate's Office, Dunedin, 4th July, 1905. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter requesting my opinion on the system at present adopted in the investigation of old-age-pension claims; and, in reply, have much pleasure in saying that I consider it eminently satisfactory. I agree with former Magisterial reports, that under the present system the inquiries are very exhaustive, and there is little chance of dishonesty being practiced without detection. With a competent Deputy Registrar, the work of a Magistrate is rendered as nearly as possible all that can be desired. Yours faithfully, H. Y. Widdowson, S.M. Ihe Registrar, Old-age Pensions Department, Wellington. Full details regarding the sex, age, and distribution throughout the colony of the pensioners on the rolls will be found in the Appendix of this report, the following items of interest being taken therefrom: — The number of pensioners to-day is only 485 more than at the end of the first full year's working of the Act—i.e., on the 31st March, 1900. There were last year 1,035 married couples drawing the pension. Nine thousand two hundred out of the 11,770 pensioners on the rolls, or 78 per cent, of the whole, are in receipt of the full pension of £18. The age which claims the highest number is 71, 1,418 European pensioners being at that age. There are seventy-one European pensioners of the age of 90 and over, while nine are 95 and over, and three are over 100. The following particulars relate to the nine European pensioners who have reached the advanced age of 95 and over, and who were all seen alive on the Ist instant: — No. Distriot. Sex. Address. Born. Conjugal Conditions. 153. Invercargill Female Gladstone Ist February, 1810 Widow. 740. Wellington* Male Te Aro 10th February, 1810 Widower. 208. Hokitika Female Kanieri 14th February, 1810 Widow. 797. Dunedin „ Outrim 14th August, 1808 1866. Auckland Male Onehunga 1809 Widower. 707. Dunedin Female Caversham 24th June, 1807 Widow. 18. Havelock Male Kenepuru - 15th February, 1804 Unmarried. 343. Ashburton* „ Ashburton 24th June, 1803 Widower 149. Masterton „ Waterfalls 1801 * These pensioners draw their own pensions in person. Annual Payments. By reason of the fact that the number of pensioners has steadily decreased during the past three years, there has been a corresponding decrease in the annual expenditure under the Act. The actual payment for the year just ended totals £195,475, being the lowest amount paid in any

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one year since 1900, and £7,689 less than the amount paid last year. Add to this decrease the sum of £1,501 recovered during the year by Court proceedings and demands and paid to the credit of the Public Account, together with £25 recovered by way of fine and paid in stamps, and the actual cash saving tor the past twelve months, stands at £9,215. The net expenditure from the Consolidated Fund stands at £193,973 I3s. sd. It has already been pointed out that the natural increase during the past three years is represented by a total of 782 pensions, which number, it may be stated, represents at £18 per annum each a total sum of £14,076. If, then, this natural increase had not been interfered with, the State would to-day have been paying per annum £14,000 more than the £210,140 paid in 1903 — i.e., a sum exceeding £224,000, instead of the £195,475 actually paid last jear. In other words, the present annual expenditure under the Act is, approximately, £29,000 less than the amount which, under ordinary circumstances, would have been required. The accompanying table shows the total amount paid by way of pensions since the Act came into force, together with the cost per head of the population (exclusive of Maoris), in each year: — Gross Payments Population Cost per on Account of at End of Head of Pensions. Year. Population. £ s. d. Three months ended 31st March, 1899 ... 3,124 746,076 0 1 Year ended 31st March, 1900 ... ... 157,342 758,617 4 1| 1901 ... ... 197,292 772,719 5 1^ 1902 ... ... 207,468 789,994 5 3 1903 ... ... 210,140 814,842 5 2 1904 ... ... 203,164 838,954 4 10 1905 ... ... 195,475 864,971 4 6 Total ... ... ... £1,174,005 A comparison of the amounts paid month by month for the past three years is shown by the following figures: — Month. Year 1902-3. Year 1903-4. Year 1904-5. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ a. d. April ... ... 17,374 0 4 17,342 12 4 15,907 11 4 May ... ... 17,654 7 7 17,234 7 1 16,185 2 9 June ... ... 17,417 12 10 17,038 18 11 16,150 11 6 July ... ... 17,617 8 2 17,131 4 9 16,331 0 9 August ... ... 17,460 0 1 17,052 12 0 16,344 10 6 September ... 17,592 8 8 16,926 17 8 16,500 5 6 October ... 17,579 18 0 16,994 13 2 16,393 16 3 November .. 17,436 1 11 16,840 16 7 16,280 10 6 December ... 17,548 9 4 16,833 17 6 16,470 15 9 January ... 17,435 2 10 16,643 8 4 16,167 5 9 February ... 17,543 19 11 16,750 18 11 16,500 15 5 March "... ... 17,481 6 10 16,373 0 9 16,242 18 2 Special payment ... ... 0168 £210,140 16 6 £203,164 4 8 £195,475 4 2 Recoveries. Closely allied to this question of annual expenditure and the marked decrease shown therein, is the further cash-saving that has been effected during my term of office by the recovery of those pensions illegally obtained during the early years of the Act. My former reports have told you that the misstatement by pensioners of their true positions and the extent of the imposition practised were almost incredible, and confirmation of this is to be found in the accompanying table, showing the amount of overpayments which have been recovered and paid to the credit of the Public Account in each year since the Act came into operation. £ s. d. Year ended 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... ... Nil. 1900 ... ... ... ... 25 15 0 1901 ... ... ... ... 63 18 4 1902 ... ... ... ... 127 1 11 1903 ... ... ... ... 1,039 11 1* 1904 ... ... ... ... 2,349 14 7t 1905 ... ... ... ... " 1,526 10 9} Total ... ... ... ... 5,132 11 8 * Including £55 fines. f Including £30 fines. JJlncluding £25 fines. It will be noticed that of the total of £5,132 refunded, no less than £4,915 has been recovered during the past three years. If to this amount is added the actual cash drop in the expenditure since 1903 of £14,665, it will be found that the total cash-saving in three years has readied the sum of £19,580.

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The sum spent in recovering the above amounts by way of solicitors' fees is as follows: — £ s. d. Year ended 31st March, 1903 ... ... ... ... 9 13 5 1904 ... ... ... ... 44 2 0 1905 ... ... ... ... 38 5 2 Total ... ... .. ... £92 0 7 Cost of Administration. The cost of administration for the past year stands at £3,936. The following table shows the cost in each year since the Act was passed: — Cost of Administration. £ Three months ended 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... ... 510 Year ended 31st March, 1900 ... ... ... ... ... 2,360 1901 ... ... ... ... ... 2,415 1902 ... ... ... ... ... 2,535 1903 ... ... ... ... ... 3,805 1904 ... ... ... ... ... 3,655 1905 ... ... ... ... ... 3,936 Total ... ... ... ... ... £19,216 The percentage of the total cost of administering the Act to the gross payments of £1,174,005 above set out is therefore only 1.63 per cent. An increase in the latter years of the operation of the Act will be noted, due partly to an increased staff in Wellington, rendered necessary by a large portion of the work formerly attended to by the various Deputy Registrars being dealt with at Head Office, and partly to the reorganization of the work of the Department in the four chief centres of the colony, in each of which the Department hopes, in course of time, to have its own officers safeguarding the public purse by the proper investigation of all claims. This very desirable condition at present obtains both in Auckland and Dunedin, in the former of which the Department's own office is used by the Magistrate as the Old-age Pensions Court for the district, and also for the payment of pensions ,on the Ist of each month by the Department's agents —the Post Office authorities. Of the work from which the seventy Deputy Registrars other than those in the chief centres have been relieved, the main part consists of the preparation each year of the pension-certificates and of the income and property statements with accompanying notices. The taking-away of this detail work of no light character from officers who have other Departments to serve has allowed more time for the more important duty of investigating claims, and has been instrumental in creating a uniformity that has been for the general good. With reference to the statement under the preceding heading of " Recoveries " that the actual cash-saving during the past three years has totalled £19,580, 1 desire to draw attention to the fact that this amount exceeds the total cost of administration since the Act came into operation, the meaning of which is that the administration of the Act has, up to date, practically cost the country nothing; or, taking another view, this total cash-saving is more than sufficient to defray the cost of administration for the next four years. New Claims. During the past year the number of new claims registered throughout the colony totalled 1,683. These, with the 401 awaiting investigation at the beginning of the year, made a total of 2,084 dealt with. Of these, 1,210 were established, representing an annual payment of £20,162, 323 were rejected for various reasons —some on account of insufficient proof of age; while the number awaiting investigation in the seventy-four agencies of the Department on the 31st March — principally on account of infrequent Court sittings in scattered districts —totalled 551. Owing, no doubt, to the introduction in 1903 of the closer system of investigation now in operation, the percentage of incoming pensioners to that portion of the population becoming eligible by age and residence in each year has fallen considerably since 1902, the relative proportions being —in 1902, 43 per cent.; in 1905, 34 per cent. And yet, despite this falling-off in the percentage, as already pointed out in my opening remarks the number of new grants has gone on each year exceeding the outgo by death, and I have no reason for supposing that there will be any diminution in this natural annual increase; on the contrary, after carefully examining the census figures already quoted, I can only predict that the increase of new pensioners over death for the ensuing year will be even more marked than previously. Last year the people who became qualified by age and residence numbered, approximately, 3,500, Being those who in 1901 were 61 years of age and twentyone years resident in the colony, while for the ensuing year the number who will become eligible by age and residence will be, approximately, the 5,900, who in 1901 were 60 years old and twentyyears in the colony. It will thus be seen that the number of people from whose ranks the new pensioners for the ensuing year are to be drawn exceeds by over two thousand the number who became eligible last year, and a corresponding increase in the new grants ma} r therefore be looked for. Of the 1,210 new pensioners admitted during the past year, 30 were Maoris. No less than 1,087 were born in the British Isles, while the rest of the Empire accounted for an additional 19.

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Of the 1,180 Europeans, 390 only were of the minimum age of 65, as many as 34 being of the age of 80 and over. Further details as to the nationality, age, sex, and conjugal condition of the new participants will be found in the Appendix. A comprehensive return is submitted, showing the total number of claims made in each district since the Act came into force, together with the number of claims made during the past year, and the manner in which these latter have been dealt with. Of the total number of claims made, altogether 19,771 have been established and pensions granted to the applicants.

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District. Deputy Registrar. Total Number of Claims received since Act came into Force. Claims awaiting Investigation on 31st Mar., 1904. For Fir 31. lancial Year ending ._,. . 3t March, 1905.' Claims awaiting — Investiga- „. . . tion on es'ta 8 Claims ! 31stMat " Wished. re J eoted - ; 1905 - Claims reoeived. Auckland Coromandel ... Dargaville Hamilton Helensville Eaitaia Mangonui Maungaturoto Otahuhu Raglan Rawene Rotorua ... Russell Taupo Warkworth ... Whangarei Whangaroa ... Thames Opotiki Paeroa Tauranga Te Aroha Whakatane ... Gisborne Port Awanui ... Napier Dannevirke ... Waipawa Wairoa New Plymouth Stratford Wanganui Hawera Marton Patea ... "Wellington ... Feilding Carterton Masterton Otaki Pahiatua Palmerston North Nelson Motueka Blenheim Havelock Christchurch ... Akaroa Amberley Ashburton Culverden Kaiapoi ... Kaikoura Timaru Fairlie Temuka S. Ruddock ... J. Mclndoe ... S. Thompson W. Shanaghan G. A. Tapp ... W. Sefton ... J. Henry J. Hemphill... G. Foreman ... W. McCarthy F. A. Moore... W.Bern B. J. Parsons J. Ryan B. M. Johnson J. Fitzgerald A. G. Douthet J. Jordan C. O'Reilly ... H. R. Bush ... W. A. Thorn H. R. Bush ... William Bccles G. J. A. Johnstone C. H. Mellsop R. B. Mathias S. Tansley ... J. Bccleton ... H. H. Can- ... W. A. D. Banks M. Foley ... C. A. Barton A. Trimble ... J. E. Patrick M. O'Brien ... F. W. Mansfield W. Matravers H. Salmon ... E. Rawson ... T. O'Rourke W. J. Reeve... C. J. Hewlett E. C. Kelling L. Read J. Terry H. McArdle... L. C. Williams D. Jackson ... M. Roche ... T. W. Tayler A. S. Bird ... A. G. Ashby... J. P. Clarkson T. Howley ... S. Kidd " ... J. Gillespie ... 1 2,502 247 198 368 420 35 165 71 697 178 273 169 283 101 179 362 83 499 76 147 244 61 97 282 271 537 313 50 231 488 75 418 151 208 64 1,041 165 167 217 122 76 328 518 143 329 18 2,307 102 14 391 15 513 44 269 20 237 71 7 6 4 1 8 1 12 5 4 1 2 9 5 24 17 7 6 4 6 5 2 5 178 17 16 16 5 11 5 1 26 4 5 10 1 9 19 3 25 2 16 8 6 8 13 2 31 28 11 3 48 11 36 14 12 7 89 15 8 18 10 5 19 18 3 22 132 8 13 11 3 3 5 2 11 4 1 5 1 3 12 2 25 1 14 3 2 2 7 1 16 18 3 3 42 7 22 11 15 6 61 9 5 10 6 4 11 14 3 8 58 6 3 6 3 4 3 5 5 1 3 4 1 19 1 7 1 2 1 5 3 2 59 10 6 3 "l2 "24 4 4 5 12 1 5 7 21 4 5 10 4 16 12 6 2 7 2 7 3 1 9 3 5 4 2 16 3 1 1 18 1 2 5 4 2 2 2 3 2 1 4 7 12 7 3 6 2 2 8 8 4 3 6 6 14 32 2 201 6 3 44 1 29 1 21 1 12 162 7 2 34 1 25 1 18 1 13 11 1 1 8 "60 3 5 2 1 5 1 1 3 5 3 1 Carried forward 17,579 313 1,133 809 239 388

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Charitable Institutions. The total amount of pensions paid to Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards during the past year was £11,351 9s. 2d., being £1,167 more than in the previous year, while the number of pensioners resident in the institutions controlled by these Boards on the 31st March last was 663, or forty-eight more than on the same date in the preceding year. I have not had sufficient time at my disposal to visit all the institutions where pensioners prefer to reside, to satisfy myself that the necessary care and attention is bestowed by the governing authorities, but I did find that in those visited pensioners were treated with kindness and every consideration. I reported last year that I was not impressed with the building in Nelson known as the Old People's Home, where some thirty pensioners now reside, and to the authorities of which this Department paid last year no less a sum than £569 19s. I have now to report that, in my opinion, the Old People's Home in Napier is in even a worse condition than the Home in Nelson, and do not think that aged people should be permitted to reside in such very old wooden buildings. I found that the manager, Mr. Mayo, and his wife were most kind and attentive to the aged pensioners in their charge, but their efforts are severely handicapped by such an out-of-date building. On the 31st March last there were twenty-three old-age pensioners in this institution, and during the year the governing body received from this Department the sum of £450 19s. 7d. A return showing the distribution of pensioners in the various Homes and hospitals throughout the colony, and the amount paid to the controlling authorities, is embodied in the Appendix. Annual Liability. The liability at the end of each year since the inauguration of the scheme is as follows: — £ £ s. At 31st March, 1899, 127,319, or an average of 17 2 for 7,443 pensioners. 1900, 193,718, „ 17 3 „ 11,285 1901, 211,965, „ 17 2 „ 12,405 1902, 217,192, „ 17 0 „ 12,776 1903, 211,594, „ 16 19 „ 12,481 1904, 200,915, „ 16 17 „ 11,926 1905, 199,081, „ 16 18 „ 11,770 It will be thus seen that the annual decrease since the Ist April, 1902, is represented by the sum of £18,111, while the average per pension has decreased from £17 to £16 18s. This decrease of 2s. per pension represents in itself, on the present number of pensioners, a saving of over £1,100 per annum. A table is submitted herewith showing the number of pensions at each rate, making up the gross liability at the end of the year just closed.

Total Number of Claims received since Act came into Force. Claims awaiting Investigation on 31et Mar., 1904. 'or Financial Yea: 31st March, 1< - end 105. ding Claims awaiting Investiga tion on 31st Mar. 1905. District. Deputy Registrar. Claims received. Claims established. Claims rejeoted. Brought forward ... Waimate W. Y. Purchase B. Harper ... A. Askenbeck J. C. Malfroy E. D. Mosley R. P. Ward ... P. A. Keddell W. A. Matthews F. T. D. Jeffrey A. M. Eyes ... D. McRae ... F. W. Hart ... W. Hilliard... J. Burrows ... J. R. Colyer... A. A. Mair ... J. M. Adam R. W. Rayner 17,579 175 771 269 931 474 430 1,902 233 188 331 202 174 94 338 1,050 206 266 11 313 1 5 5 11 10 1,133 19 42 18 63 32 35 137 11 13 20 7 13 3 29 73 7 27 1 809 17 33 9 44 25 32 103 7 7 13 6 11 3 14 53 7 17 239 3 7 8 7 8 3 9 3 3 5 2 2 381 Greymouth ... Reefton Hokitika Westport Oamaru Dunedin Balclutha Clyde Lawrence Milton Naseby Palmerston South Waikouaiti Invercargill Queenstown ... Riverton Chatham Islands I I 2; i "3! 14 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 20 12 7 1 2 1 16 31 10 9 2 13 25,624 401 1,683 1,210 323 551

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Total Number of Pensions at each Rate in Force on the 31st March, 1905. Pensions. Liability. £ & 9,200 at 18 ... ... ... ... ... 165,600 441 „ 17 ... ... ... ... ... 7,497 371 „ 16 ... ... ... ... ... 5,936 315 „ 15 ... ... .. ... 4,725 296 „ 14 ... ... ... ... ... 4,144 223 „ 13 ... ... ... ... ... 2,899 203 „ 12 ... ... ... ... ... 2,436 148 „ 11 ... ... ... ... ... 1,628 126 „ 10 ... ... ... ... ... 1,260 95 „ 9 ... ... ... ... ... 855 96 „ 8 ... ... ... .. ... 768 73 „ 7 ... ... ... ... ... 511 58 „ 6 ... ... ... ... ... 348 46 „ 5 ... ... ... ... ... 230 34 „ 4 ... ... ... ... ... 136 24 „ 3 ... ... ... ... ... 72 15 „ 2 ... ... ... ... ... 30 6 „ 1 ... ... ... ... ... 6 Totals 11,770 £199,081 Forfeited Instalments. The instalments for the year unpaid on the 31st March amounted to £2,167 3s. 4d. Of this amount £2,137 Is. Bd. represents instalments which are absolutely forfeited, the balance of £30 Is. Bd. being instalments, the payment of which is in abeyance. The figures for each month are as follows : — Absolutely Forfeited Instalments. 1904. £ 8 - d . \pril ... ... ... ... ••• 307 10 0 May ... ... ... ... . - - 277 11 8 June ... ... ... ... ... ... 258 10 0 July ... ... ... ... .. - 246 1 8 August ... ... ... ... ••• 239 3 4 September ... ... ... ... ... 167 13 4 October ... ... ... -. ... 139 10 0 November ... ... ... ... ••• 124 6 8 December ... ... ... ••■ •■• 96 11 8 1905. January ... ... ... ... ... 102 11 8 February ... ... ... ... ■•• 99 8 4 March... ... ... ... ■•• ••• 78 3 4 £2,137 1 8 The New South Wales Scheme. . Comparisons with the scheme in operation in New South Wales continue to be favourable to New Zealand. Although the full pension payable in that State is £26, as against £18 in this colony, the qualifications under the two Acts are practically the same. The estimated number of European persons of the required age of sixty-five years who have been resident twenty-five years in each colony, together with the number of pensioners at the latest dates available, are as follows, the percentage in each case being also shown: Estimated European Population 65 Years of Number of Age and Twenty-five European Pensioners. Percentage. Years in the Colony. New South Wales ... 51,600 21,674 (Dec. 31, 1904) 42 New Zealand ... 32,013 11,138 (Mar. 31,1905) 35 The total amount paid in New South Wales during the twelve months ended the 31st December, 1904, was £501,013. In my last year's report the marked difference in the cost of administration in the two colonies was referred to, it then being shown that the relative proportion of the annual cost to the annual expenditure was as follows : New South Wales, 4 per cent.; New Zealand, 1.8 per cent. The latest figures available show that this disparity was still maintained. Where in New Zealand the cost of administering the Act last year was £3,936, in New South Wales for the year ended the 30th June, 1904, the sum of £21,277 was appropriated by Parliament for the purposes of administration. This means that, while it costs the New Zealand Government only 6s. Bd. to pay each of its 11,770 pensioners, the cost to New South Wales for each of its 21,674 pensioners is 19s. 7d.

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Warrants under Section 44. There is every reason to believe that sufficient importance has not been attached in the past to the provision made by the original Act for the issue of warrants to reputable citizens to enable them to collect the pension on behalf of pensioners. Section 44 lays it down that a warrant may be issued by a Stipendiary Magistrate, having regard to the age, infirmity, or improvidence of the pensioner, or any other special circumstances; but the experience of the Department is that in a great number of cases a pensioner has only had to make application for the appointment of an agent, and the Magistrate has been asked to issue the necessary warrant. By means of a small, though important, alteration made two years ago in the pension receipt, which now requires an agent to state when collecting an instalment the address of the pensioner, it was discovered that throughout the colony agents in one district were collecting on behalf of pensioners who were residing temporarily in other districts. This was neither necessary nor desirable, because pensioners able to move from place to place are, as a rule, physically able to walk to the nearest postoffice; and agents were being frequently called upon to refund money drawn by them after the deaths of pensioners, of which they had flot been aware when collecting. Immediate steps were taken to have the warrants in all such cases cancelled, and payment was then made direct to the pensioners at their temporary abodes with absolutely no inconvenience. It is now known that the same class of agent is still acting, with this difference: that the true whereabouts of the pensioner each month is not disclosed to the Department. The position in such a case is that during the currency of the warrant—which it has been found necessary to limit to twelve months —the Department is not in touch with the pensioner, and a contingent possibility is that at next renewal the correct position of his affairs may not be ascertainable. As an example, I quote the case of a pensioner who went from a town into the country, leaving behind him an agent who each month declared that the pensioner was still a resident of the town, while he (the pensioner) was earning good wages in the country. This is by no means an isolated case, and this class of case emphasizes the necessity that exists for the closest attention being paid by every one concerned to this question of the appointment of agents. Another phase of the agent question is that which relates to the appointment of young people —in some instances of children —to collect the pensions of their aged parents. I have myself seen, in the various paying-offices visited by me throughout the colony, numbers of young folk drawing the pension—so many, in fact, that I cannot believe that such a large number of our pensioners are physically unfit through infirmity to attend the post-office once during every month. The necessary steps have been taken to ascertain whether in every case the issue of these warrants has been justified, and special instructions are being circulated to the various Deputy Registrars of the Department throughout the colony impressing upon them the necessity for seeing that no application for a warrant is recommended for the favourable consideration of the Magistrate except where the pensioner is physically incapable through age or infirmity of attending the post-office in person. Wealth of Pensioners. In my last year's report I stated that the time at my disposal up till then had not permitted of my preparing a return of the total income earned and the total property owned by pensioners. lam now, however, in a position to submit such a table, and the promised information, which has been extracted from the records of the Department, is set out hereunder.

2—H. 18.

■ ■° s - ° 8 s ° CM a u S a S°'S 0 s Hi Gross Accumulated Property. 0>> ot MO *f Income and Property of Husbands and Wives (not Pensioners). District. Freehold. Leasehold. Life Interest. Cash. Stock, Furniture, (fee. Income. Property. Auokland Coromandel Dargavillo Hamilton Helensville Eaitaia.. Mangonui Maungaturoto .. Otahuhu Raglan.. Rawene Rotorua Russell Taupo.. Warkworth Whangarei Whangaroa Thames Opotiki Paeroa Tauranga Te Aroha Whakatane Gisborne Port Awanui Napier.. 1,152 105 67 143 42 49 26 31 174 32 87 48 119 25 62 131 29 255 42 69 63 32 46 86 17 237 £ 9,918 473 745 1,203 343 231 156 512 1,356 169 149 114 687 13 413 1,112 95 1,365 65 657 199 245 37 1,118 13 3,338 £ 14,448 1,862 935 2,447 654 417 751 928 6,829 521 3,266 586 3,493 589 2,121 1,601 1,016 4,002 525 1,420 1,331 996 297 2,356 20 3,155 £ 389 107 "380 "l20 £ 3,292 38 £ 3,097 26 72 321 50 248 53 1,028 58 £ 5,631 428 224 606 146 110 53 101 1,108 9 88 28 696 £ 3,530 50 95 171 180 £ 3,156 68 78 380 102 57 £ 11,798 569 631 1,575 216 738 188 285 2,302 831 1,141 98 157 76 179 "l30 1,772 41 272 10 24 21 104 79i "l81 70 33 1,484 "l30 195 ' 989: "247 181 "245 723 1J348 359 531 15 1,016 10 201 185 275 34 275 50 425 "570 402 60 368 162 190 143 1,961 812 283 2,379 44 124 "l46 70 23 88 66 10 155 878 568 729 i 59 "326 ! "'421 51 54 283 iJ488 "905 997 'i,997 390 Carried forward 3,1691 24,7261 56,566| 2,869 4,687| 7,9061 13,6171 9,034| 5,5431 32,362

H.—lB.

Wealth of Pensioners —continued.

A summary of the accumulated property owned by pensioners is as follows: — £ Freehold ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 223,508 Leasehold ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20,895 Life interest ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14,901 Cash ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31,130 Stock, furniture, &c. ... ... ... ... ... ... 56,418 346,852 Less mortgages on real estate ... ... ... ... ... 50,978 Total ... ... ... ... ... 295,874 Property owned by husbands and wives of pensioners (not themselves pensioners) ... ... ... ... ... ... 127,830 Grand total ... ... ... ... ... £423,704 The average amount of income earned is £7 13s. per pensioner, and the average amount cf accumulated property held, after the deduction of mortgages, is £25 2s. General. One phase of the old-age-pensions scheme to which I desire to direct attention is that which has resulted in the improved relations between the younger generation and their aged parents. Prior to the introduction of the Act, it was with extreme difficulty that numbers of sons and

10

ea, 'en, rioners —continue* District. 55 S Is! s to S5 § . i S 0 So-2 a a t-* <d Pμ Gross Act lumulated Property. umulated Property. m -g I a .. Stock, ■£§£ Cash. Jurru- = - I _ «_ Income and Property of HusbaDda and Wives (not Pensioners). Freehold. Leasehold. Income. Property. Brought forward Darmevirke Waipawa Wairoa New Plymouth .. Stratford Wanganui Hawera Marton Patea Wellington Peilding Carterton Masterton Otaki Pahiatua Palmerston North Nelaon.. Motueka Blenheim Havelook Christohuroh Akaroa Amberley Ashburtou Culverden Kaiapoi Kaikoura Timaru Fairlie .. Temuka Waimate Greymouth Reef ton.. Hokitika Westport Oamaru Dunedin Balclutha Clyde Lawrence Milton Naseby Palmerston South Waikouaiti lnvercargill Queenstown Biverton Cnatham Islands 3,169 124 55 46 219 23 180 64 86 24 530 91 77 85 60 32 145; 224 66 138 6 1,249 44 9 215 7 275 20 152 7 113 104 449 128 485 236 212 1,055 131 95! 186; 118 103 52 40 605] 101 130 5; £ 24,726 1,181 449 37 1,874 126 1,881 607 536 255 3,974 519 914 970 438 457 1,094 1,686 154 1,278 107 6,274 601 101 3,032 33 1,411 121 108 43 475 949 3,747 955 4,351 2,284 1,625 9,569 556 774 1,302 653 959 343 136 4,377 831 1,212 87 £ 56,566 2,951 433 2,185 3,965 78 1,612 1,510 2,206 179 4,330 992 1,441 1,391 571 358 2,782 8,784 2,102 2,661 £ 2,869 119 "292 1 148; £ 4,687 64 171 568 "l71 ' '605 £ 7,906 157 807 11 278 79 24 1,741 162 497 206 129 £ 13,617 405 54 4 725 25 672 70 177 28 1,513 110 870 348 135 100 514 1,054 160 818 £ 9,034 1,190 "978 58 864 122 60 1,035: 16 339 393 150 420 430 2,397 406 575 £ 5,543 165 63 71 351 56 282 156 17 88 829 137 1981 1031 169 7 112 191 47 283 £ 32,362 2,727 1,009 1,525 3,639 906 1,087 2,507 535 173 5,251 1,379 1,571 1,768 1,224 63 3,455 3,826 1,956 2,109 281 1,336 20 43 "422 •• 92 646 102 395 217 547 408 78 14 3,264 28 30[346 ! 885J 543, "3281 400' 3,299 179 6,747 165 98 1,117 10 1,013 216 287 6,756 480 50 3,417 1,185] 31 145^ 13,265 355 35 3,369 6,531 162 8,918 318 ! 4,029 185: 3,361 3,924; 1,901' 535 5,569 1,571 3,892] 21,412] 2,516 545 3,452' 4,520 278 1,512 978 1 15,854] 6431 2,574 "264 906 98 179 621 30 584 95 102 1,842 90 2,437 30 953 776 924 342' 4,570 159 217 1,288 328 2,697 1,241 531 1,232 732i 510! 1,887 212 892 80 10 764 144 89 10 20 "l98 1,454 225 191 1,069 60 1,510 1,213 783 2,990 267 326 1,492 161 951 183 51 992 567 114' 688 826 1,485 407 2,259 1,002 1,123 7,640 453 1,088 1,261 1,115 686 427 173 3,724 590 419 l"o5O 692 5,908 815 52 20 191 136, 98 190 89 265 1 1,455 ! 244 129 305 322 109 125; 251 819 65 394! 1,179 212 1,527 1,184 2,328 401 1,424 749 1,577 12,095 948 344 1,035 1,302 535 612 545 8,730 281 156 69 634 703 18 377 222 3,732 50 555 403 114 , . 751 Totals 56,418 50,97: 15,675! 127,830 11,770 90,122 223,508 20,895 14,901 31,130 A summary of the accumulated property owned by pensioners is as follows: — £ Freehold ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 223,508 Leasehold ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20,895 Life interest ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14,901 Cash ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31,130 Stock, furniture, &c. ... .. ... ... ... ... 56,418 346,852 Less mortgages on real estate ... ... ... ... ... 50,978 Total ... ... ... ... ... 295,874 Property owned by husbands and wives of pensioners (not themselves pensioners) ... ... ... ... ... ... 127,830 Grand total ... ... ... ... ... £423,704 The average amount of income earned is £7 13s. per pensioner, and the average amount cf accumulated property held, after the deduction of mortgages, is £25 2s. General. One phase of the old-age-pensions scheme to which I desire to direct attention is that which has resulted in the improved relations between the younger generation and their aged parents. Prior to the introduction of the Act, it was with extreme difficulty that numbers of sons and

11

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daughters throughout the colony were able to make proper provision for the welfare of fathers and mothers who had reached the age when work was out of the question, and when in many instances the state of health demanded the utmost care and attention. This, though often ungrudginglygiven, necessitated a great amount of self-denial and an added expenditure that could be ill afforded. Now, with the beneficent Old-age Pensions Act on the statute-book, the old order of things has been changed in many directions; and with the change there has been brought to the home of many of our young colonists that measure of assistance which has been sufficient to lift them from drudgery, aud, in some instances, want, to the realm of comparative confort. For, by means of the aid now given them by their aged parents in the shape of the pension, they have been freed from that evil which is perhaps the surest destroyer of domestic happiness —namely, the anxietycreated by the difficulty in providing the necessaries of life; and aged people now receive at the hands of their children an amount of consideration which it was practically impossible for the latter to previously bestow. In passing, it may be here stated that the great bulk of the pensioners who prefer to reside in the various homes for old people throughout the colony are people who are practically alone in the world, and who have no children who could tend them in their old age. Eighteen pounds each to an aged couple per annum represents a sum equal to 14s. a week, and such an amount is more than sufficient in most parts of the colony to pay the rent of a comfortable home. In many instances the freedom which has come to the younger generation has resulted in their sphere of influence in the world being enlarged, in that they now find themselves in the position to marry, and are thus able to add to the wealth of the State by the bringing-up of families. I do not deem my report complete without reference to the all-important question of age, touched on in my previous report. Instances have been discovered during the past year where pensioners who had been on the rolls for several years were not of the necessary age, and I cannot advocate too strongly the tightening of the provision in section 20 of the original Act regarding age, which gives the presiding Magistrate power to dispense with corroborative evidence. I say emphatically that the proof of age should be absolute. The Department has adopted a system, where there is any doubt as to the age of a claimant, of getting the necessary information free of cost from the Registrar-General's Department or the immigration records, and, failing these, the High Commissioner in London is communicated with, and it is surprising how few are the number of cases where some evidence cannot be traced which will enable the claimant to go before the Magistrate. It is also surprising, however, to find that the information supplied by the High Commissioner so often disproves the statements of claimants who were prepared to assert that they were of the necessary age. In conclusion, I can only repeat the opinion expressed last year, that sentiment must not be allowed to play any part in the administration of an old-age-pension scheme. Provision is made by law for the qualification of an applicant, and every person who desires to ascertain whether he is entitled to the pension receives every assistance and consideration in his endeavour to obtain what is his right; and it is very gratifying to know that the disinclination to apply, which has existed in the past on the part of people qualified in every way, is gradually being worn down, and that the pension is being recognised more and more every day as what the original Act defined it should be —namely, a provision for " deserving persons who during the prime of life have helped to bear the public burdens of the colony by the payment of taxes, and to open up its resources by their labour and skill." J. Eman Smith, Registrar.

H.—lB.

APPENDIX.

Table 1.—Number and Annual Value of Pensions granted to Europeans and Maoris in Force on the 31st March, 1905.

Table 2.—Pensions in Fokce on the 31st March, 1905, in North and South Islands. Europeans. Maoris. Liability. In North Island 4,422 .. 588 .. 84,809 In South Island 6,716 .. jl4 .. 114,272 11,138 .. 632 .. £199,081

12

District. Number. mal Value. District. Numi ior. inual Value. Europeans. Maoris. I Europeans Maoris. Auckland Coromandel Dargaville .. Hamilton .. Helensville .. Kaitaia Mangonui .. Maungaturoto Otahuhu Raglan Rawene Rotorua Russell Taupo Warkworth Whangarei .. Whangaroa.. Thames Opotiki Paeroa Tauranga .. Te Aroha .. Whakatane Gisborne Port Awanui Napier Dannevirke Waipawa Wairoa New Plymouth Stratford Wanganui .. Hawera Marton Patea Wellington .. Feilding :,142 76 65 132 42 12 13 31 166 16 15 13 48 2 62 130 7 250 16 63 30 31 6 59 5 237 123 55 10 200 23 176 63 79 23 528 88 77 10 29 2 11 37 13 8 16 72 35 71 23 1 22 5 26 6 33 1 40 27 12 £ 19,575 1,832 1,141 2,420 734 844 419 519 2,795 510 1,457 850 2,011 426 959 2,215 494 4,364 744 1,194 1,089 550 828 1,438 306 3,947 2,033 947 726 3,553 400 3,116 1,100 1,452 425 9,188 1,542 1,270 ! Masterton .. Otaki Pahiatua Palmerston North Nelson Motueka Blenheim .. Havelock .. Christchurch Akaroa Amberley .. Ashburton .. Culverden .. Kaiapoi Kaikoura Timaru Fairlie Temuka Waimate Greymouth Reefton Hokitika Westport .. Oamaru Dunedin Balclutha .. Clyde Lawrenoe .. Milton Naseby Palmerston South Waikouaiti.. Inveroargill Queenstown Riverton Chatham Islands ::| -I 83 51 32 142 224 66 137 6 1,247 39 9 215 7 270 18 152 7 113 102 449 128 483 232 209 1,054 131 95 186 118 103 52 35 603 101 122 3 2 9 "3 1 2 5 5 2 "2 £ 1,434 999 512 2,451 3,520 1,047 2,341 102 20,878 730 152 3,607 117 4,499 335 2,566 117 1,887 1,698 7,950 2,288 8,499 4,153 3,605 17,692 2,223 1,667 3,120 1,890 1,806 858 686 10,122 1,767 2,260 90 2 4 8 1 1 36 19 4 1 7 1 2 3 5 2 " - 8 2 Totals .. [ 11,138 632 £199,081 Carterton ..

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Table 3.—Sexes of Pensioners on the Rolls at the 31st March, 1905.

Table 4.— Ages of European Pensioners on the Roll at the 31st March, 1905. Number. Number. Number. At age 65... ... 243 lAt age 78... ... 376 At age 91 ... ... 19 „ 66... ... 259 „ 79... ... 304 „ 92... ... 10 „ 67 ... ... 519 „ 80 ... ... 275 „ 93 ... ... 6 „ 68... ... 665 „ 81... ... 209 „ 94... ... 6 „ 69 ... ... 723 „ 82 ... ... 194 „ 95 ... ... 3 „ 70 ... ... 885 „ 83 ... ... 133 „ 96 ... ... 2 „ 71 ... ... 1,418 „ 84 ... ... 143 „ 97 ... ... 1 „ 72... ...1,164 „ 85... ... 108 „ 101... ... 1 „ 73 ... ... 909 „ 86 ... ... 91 „ 102 ... ... 1 „ 74 ... ... 752 „ 87 ... ..." 45 „ 104 ... ... 1 „ 75 ... ... 669 „ 88 ... ... 41 76 ... ... 527 „ 89 ... ... 32 Total ... 11,138 „ 77 ... ... 383 „ 90 ... ... 21

13

District. Europeans. boris. Female. Europeans. District. Male. Perns Maoris. Male. ; Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. LUckland .. 'oromande! )argaville .. lamilton .. lelensville.. Caitaia langonui .. daungaturoto Jtahuhu taglan tawene totorua tussell ?aupo Varkworth Vhangarei Vhangaroa ?hames )potiki 'aeroa 589 58 50 70 36 10 8 17 89 11 13 9 33 1 38 88 6 144 8 39 17 20 4 39 5 136 73 34 8 105 9 98 36 49 16 245 54 45 553 18 15 62 6 2 5 14 77 5 2 4 15 1 24 42 1 106 8 24 13 11 2 20 7 17 2 5 23 6 5 10 42 16 84 6 1 12 4 9 4 13 1 14 13 2 8 12 6 14 7 3 6 30 19 37 17 10 1 17 2 20 Masterton .. .. 51 I Otaki .. .. 32 Pahiatua .. .. 20 j Palmerston North .. 88 j i Nelson .. .. 126 ! Motueka .. .. 36 i Blenheim .. .. 82 i Havelock .. .. 6 Christchurch .. 596 ! 6i Akaroa .. .. 27 Amberley .. .. 8 Ashburton .. .. 151 ( Culverden .. .. ! 4 Kaiapoi .. ., 148 1! Kaikoura .. .. 14 Timaru .. .. 80 I Fairlie .. .. 6 Temuka .. .. 61 I Waimate .. .. 66 i Greymouth .. 371 Reefton .. .. 109 Hokitika .. .. 359 1! Westport .. .. 186 Oamaru .. .. 120 ! Dunedin .. .. 525 5! Balelutha .. .. 77 i Clyde .. .. 76 Lawrence .. .. 120 ( Milton .. .. 64 I Naseby .. .. 79 i Palmerston South .. 31 i Waikouaiti .. 13 i Invercargill .. 366 2; Queenstown .. 71 i Riverton .. .. 84 i Chatham Islands .. 2 32 19 12 54 98 30 55 651 12 1 64 3 122 4 72 1 52 36 78 19 124 46 89 529 54 19 66 54 24 21 22 237 30 38 " 1 2 3 "l 4 *2 2 "l 2 7 ' 2 1 "3 1 ?auranga .. ?e Aroha .. Vhakatane xisborne >ort Awanui Tapier )annevirke Vaipawa .. Vairoa •few Plymouth Stratford .. Vanganui .. lawera larton 'atea Vellington i'eilding !arterton .. 101 50 21 2 95 14 78 27 30 7 283 34 32 1 27 10 26 14 10 9 9 2 8 1 1 2 1 2 1 5 1 1 2 2 "2 2 3 4 2 4 1 3 Totals .. | 6,565 4,5' 4,573 325 307

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14

Table s.—Original Nationalities of Pensioners to whom new Pensions were granted during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1905. Number. Number. Number. English ... ... 618 Ceylon ... ... 1 French ... ... 2 Irish ... ... 287 American ... ... 3 Austrian ... ... 2 Scotch ... ... 177 German ... ... 25 Russian ... ... 1 Welsh ... ... 5 Danish ... ... 12 Portugese ... ... 1 Canadian ... ... 4 Swedish ... ... 7 Azores ... ... 1 Tasmanian ... ... 8 Swiss ... ... 7 Maori ... ... 30 New South Wales ... 2 Norwegian ... ... 6 New-Zealander ... 2 Dutch ... ... 4 Total ... 1,210 Victorian ... ... 2 Italian ... ... 3 These pensioners are now all British subjects as required by the Act.

Table 6.—Ages of European Pensioners who were admitted during the Year ended the 31st March, 1905. Number. Number. Number. At age 65 ... ... 390 At age 74 ... ... 36 At age 83 ... 3 „ 66 ... ... 151 „ 75 ... ... 21 „ 84 ... 6 „ 67 ... ... 99 „ 76 ... ... 20 „ 85 ... 4 „ 68 ... ... 96 „ 77 ... ... 19 „ 86 ... 2 „ 69 ... ... 71 „ 78 ... ... 10 „ 87 ... 1 „ 70 ... ... 72 „ 79 ... ... 8 „ 88 ... 1 „ 71 ... ... 49 „ 80 ... ... 5 „ 93 ... 1 „ 72 65 „ 81 8 „ 73 ... ... 39 „ 82 ... ... 3 Total ... 1,180 Table 7. —Sex and Conjugal Condition of Pensioners who were admitted during the Year ended 31st March, 1905. Sex. Single. Married. Widowed. Totals. Males ... 190 345 171 706 Females ... 23 237 244 504 Totals ... 213 582 415 1,210

Table B.—Ages of European Pensioners who died during the Year ended the 31st March, 1905. Number. Number. Number. At age 65 ... ... 4 At age 75 ... ... 43 At age 85 ... ... 29 „ 66 ... ... 18 „ 76 ... ... 33 „ 86 ... ... 14 „ 67 ... ... 29 „ 77 ... ... 35 „ 87 ... ... 10 „ 68 ... ... 28 „ 78 ... ... 32 „ 88 ... ... 5 „ 69 46 „ 79 44 „ 89 11 „ 70 59 „ 80 27 „ 90 4 „ 71 68 „ 81 35 „ 91 2 „ 72 ... ... 63 „ 82 ... ... 22 „ 92 ... ... 6 „ 73 ... ... 57 „ 83 ... ... 17 „ 103 ... ... 1 „ 74 66 „ 84 18 m , — Total ... ... 826

Table 9.—Number of Pensions granted in each Financial Year, together with the Number of such Pensions in Force on the 31st March, 1905. Pensions granted D Number of such Force \„ „„„v,v„„.. Pensions still in Force . v> °"? •-"^" in each Year. Qn v igos to Pensions granted. Year ended 3.lst March, 1899 ... 7,487 3,771 50 1900 ... 4,699 2,348 50 1901 ... 2,227 1,342 60 1902 ... 1,694 1,140 67 1903 ... 1,391 1,050 75 1904 ... 1,063 936 88 1905 ... 1,210 1,183 98 19,771 11,770

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Table 10.—Number of Pensions granted since the Act came into Operation, with Number of Deaths and Cancellations, and Number in Force at End of each Year.

Table 11.—Comparative Statement of Pensions in Force, and Payments made in each Financial Year since the Act came into Operation.

* Decrease in actual expenditure last year .. .. ~ 7 ggn Refunds to Public Account .... .. .. 1 kqi Refunds by way of fine .. .. .. " '05 Total saving for last year .. .. £9,215

Table 12.—Cost of Administration for the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1905. Q , . £ s. d. £ s. d. planes ... ... ... ... ... 2 ,455 2 8 Other charges— Clerical assistance ... ... 495 13 4 Contribution to Post Office to pay salaries of officers employed on old-age pensions w °rk ... ... ... 510 0 0 Travelling-expenses of Registrar, Stipendiary Magistrates, Deputy Registrars, Police Constables, Interpreters' fees, &c. ... 289 0 1 Contingencies ... ... ... 187 l n 1,481 15 4 Total ••• ... ~. £3,936 18 0

I Year ending the 31st March. Number of Pensions granted. Deaths. [ Cancellations. In Force at End of Year. Liability each Year. .899... .900. . .901... 902... .903... .904... 905... 7,487 4,699 2,227 1,694 1,391 1,063 1,210 38 786 815 935 1,064 928 890 6 71 292 388 622 690 476 7,443 11,285 12,405 12,776 12,481 11,926 11,770 £ 127,319 193,718 211,965 217,192 211,594 200,915 199,081 Totals... 19,771 5,456 2,545

Date. Number of Pensions in Force. Payments to Expem End of Financial Year. Increase. diture. Pensions. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. At 31st March, 1899 ... 1900 ... 1901 ... 1902 ... 1903 ... 1904 ... 1905 ... 7,443 11,285 12,405 12,776 12,481 11,926 11,770 £ 3,124 157,342 197,292 207,468 210,140 203,164 195,475 £ 154,218 39,950 10,176 2,672 £ 3,842 1,120 371 6',976 7,689* 295 555 156 Totals £1,174,005 1,006

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16

Table 13.—Number of Old-age Pensioners residing in Charitable Institutions throughout the Colony on the 31st March, 1905, together with the Amounts paid to such Institutions during the Year.

Approximate <Jo,it of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing 1,675) copies!, £12 12e. Bd.

By Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9os. Price 6d.)

Controlling Body. ] Institution. Payments Year 1901-5. ° S3 3 53 § Amount handed to jS'Bo" Pensioners after Deduction of Sa«gS Maintenance. P <p q O c6 i Name. Location. Whangarei Auckland North of Auckland Charitable Aid Board.. Auckland Charitable Aid Board Little Sisters of the Poor Veterans Home Thames and Coromandel Charitable Aid Board Thames Hospital Trustees Waikato Charitable Aid Board Cook Distriot Charitable Aid Board Hawke's Bay United Charitable Aid Board Napier Hospital Trustees Waipawa Hospital Trustees .. Taranaki District Charitable Aid Board .. Patea and Wanganui Charitable Aid Board Wanganui Hospital Board Palmerston North Charitable Aid Board.. Carter's Home Trustees Wellington Hospital Trustees Benevolent Institution Contributors Society for Relief of Aged Needy Sisters of Compassion Old Men's Home Costley Home Home £ s. d. 275 1 7 1,213 16 0 396 0 0 522 5 10 185 17 1 11 66 24 32 15 2s. 6d. per month. Is. per week. Nil. Thames Old Men's Home 4s. per month. Hamilton Gisborne Napier Hospital Old Men's Home 18 13 7 171 17 0 76 6 8 450 19 7 7 3 3 13 10 0 302 19 2 224 18 7 5 3 0 44 13 2 1 8 7 23 2 4s. per month. Is. per week. 4s. 4d. per month. Waipawa New Plymouth Wanganui Old People's Home Hospital Hospital (Waipukurau) Old Men's Home Jubilee Home Hospital 22 14 8s. 4d. per month. 5s. per month. Palmerston N. Carterton Wellington .. Old Men's Home Hospital.. Ohiro Home Home Home for Incurables 4 2 20 12 4 327 11 1 441 10 7 174 0 0 19 27 '.I 4s. per month. 6s. 2a. per month. 4s. 2d. per month (average). Is. per week. 4s. per month. 4s. 6s. 6s. 5s. 6s. 5s. 5s. Blenheim Picton Nelson Westport Charleston Reefton Greymouth .. Hokitika Wairau Charitable Aid Board .. Picton Charitable Aid Board .. . .1 Nelson Charitable Aid Board .. .. I Buller Charitable Aid Board .. .. j Charleston Hospital Trustees .. Reefton Hospital Trustees .. .. j Greymouth Hospital Trustees Westland Hospital Trustees Westland Charitable Aid Board Kumara Hospital Trustees .. .. i North Canterbury Hospital Board North Canterbury and Ashburton Charitable Aid Board Ditto Samaritan Home Trustees Nazareth House Ashburton Hospital Trustees South Canterbury Charitable Aid Board.. North Otago Benevolent Society Oamaru Hospital Trustees Otago Benevolent Institution Dunedin Hospital Truseees Dunstan Hospital Trustees Naseby Hospital Trustees Southland Oharitahle Aid Board Old Men's Home „. Hospital Old People's Home Hospital.. 78 18 3 97 10 0 569 19 0 293 16 1 191 15 0 591 7 9 449 4 4 0 17 0 3 14 11 4 13 ,4 409 13 10 4 6 30 18 4' 12 35 22 8* 10* 1 24 Kumara Christchuroh .. Hospital (Ross) Hospital Jubilee Home Nil. * • * 35 4 2 Ashburton Timaru Oamaru Old Men's Home, Ashburton Samaritan Home Home Hospital .. I Old Men's Home 569 7 4 39 0 0 10 0 1 12 0 185 6 8 142 8 4 11 3 11 1,938 1 11 9 15 0 16 10 0 0 8 9 10 9 Is. per week. 6s. per month. Dunedin Hospital Benevolent Institution Hospital 95 1 4a. per month. Clyde Naseby 4s. 6d. per month 8s. 6d. Invercargill .. Bowmont Street Home Lome Farm Hospital .. ) 814 6 8 38 12 3 19 8 4 . j Queenstown .. Southland Hospital Trustees Wakatipu Hospital Trust 2 2 Total £11,351 9 2 663 * These lensioners draw their own instalments.