5

H.—lB.

The following table shows the amount paid 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. £ 8. d. Three months ended 31st March, 1899 (at £18) 3,124 74-6,676 0 1 Year ended 31st March, 1900 (at £18) ... 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 „ 1906 (five months at £18; seven months at £26) ... ... 254,367 889,968 5 8 Year ended 31st March, 1907 (at £26) ... 314,184 913,873 6 10 Total ... ... ... £1,742,556 Although the increase on the amount paid last year is £59,817, it must be borne in mind that the payments this year have been at the increased rate of £26 throughout the year, whereas the payments last year included five months at the old rate of £18—viz., £81,779 —and seven months at the £26 rate —viz., £172,588. Made at the higher rate throughout the year the payments last year would have been approximately £295,865, on which sum this year's total is an increase of only £18,319. [gjj The following is a return showing the number of payments and the amounts paid in each postal district during the year ended 31st March last :— Number of Amount. Postal District. Payments. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 31,409 64,401 3 L 0 Thames .. .. .. .. .. 5,665 11,983 5 1 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. 1,278 2,460 13 9 Napier .. .. .. .. .. 5,337 10,673 18 3 New Plymouth ..■ .. .. .. 2,987 5,933 12 1 Wanganui .. .. .. . . .. 4,427 \ 9,278 310 Wellington . . .. .. . . .. 14,298 29,375 12 7 Blenheim .. .. . . . . . . 1,763 3,549 2 10 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 3,316 6,716 0 5 Westport .. .. .. .. .. 3,516 7,484 0 6 Greymouth .. .. .. .. .. 6,129 13,059 12 3 Hokitika .. .. .. .. .. 6,108 12,988 3 4 Christchurch .. .. .. .. 24,767 51,109 18 10 Timaru .. .. .. .. .. 5,203 10,594 0 0 Oamaru .. .. .. .. .. 2,980 6,176 15 6 Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. 23,563 48,133 16 7 Invercargill .. .. .. .. .. 9,756 20,286 16 1 152,502 £314,204 15 9 [Note.—These figures include a number of payments which have been actually made, but through some informality have not been brought into the Treasury accounts, hence the slight increase on the amount previously shown as the payments for the year. The following figures show the balance with the Treasury: £ s. d. Payments not brought to charge on 31st March, 1906 .. . . .. .. 4 (j 8 Payments made during year 1006-7 .. .. .. . . 314,204 15 9 314,209 2 5 Less payments not brought to charge on 31st March, 1907 .. .. 25 11 H Gross charge against vote " Old-age Pensions Act, 18!>8 " .. £314,183 10 0 It may Here be pointed out that these large sums circulate not only in the colony, but in the immediate districts in which they are paid, and it can therefore be said that the benefit derived from the pension scheme is not merely confined to the "pensioners themselves, but is also felt by a large proportion of the whole population. Recoveries. The amount recovered and paid to the credit of the Public Account during the year was £357 16s. Bd. This sum is for the most part made up of the refund of overpayments in the early years of the Act obtained from the executors of deceased pensioners' estates, the balance representing odd instalments wrongly collected for sundry reasons.