H.—lB

2

The following figures relate to the war and other pensions paid by the Department during the year on behalf of other Governments: —

Legislation. Miners' Pensions. —Legislation embodied in the Finance Act, 1929 (section 36), made provision for extending the miners' pension benefits in three directions—firstly, by widening the requirement as to total incapacity by miners' phthisis to serious and permanent incapacity ; secondly, by including in the definition of miners' phthisis tuberculosis of the lungs, and any other disease of the respiratory organs commonly associated with or a sequel to miners' phthisis (pneumoconiosis) ; and, thirdly, by providing pensions for children under fifteen years of age of miners on pension at the rate of 10s. weekly for each child. With regard to these pensions to the children, the number of children on whose behalf pension was payable at the 31st March, 1930, was 136. War Pensions. —By section 35 of the Finance Act, 1929, property or income from any source of a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who is in receipt of a pension for total blindness, or of his wife or of any of his children, shall not be taken into account by the War Pensions Board in determining the rate of pension of a child of such member. Family Allowances. The claims lodged during the year totalled 1,187, which, with the 157 outstanding from the previous year, made a total of 1,344 dealt with. Of these, 1,004 were accepted and 198 rejected. Of the rejected claims 103 represent cases where the income of the family was in excess of the limit allowed. 271 new claims from Maoris were finally dealt with during the year, 212 being granted, and 59 rejected. The total children of the 3,868 allowances in force as at 31st March, 1930, and those in excess of two in a family numbered 19,474 and 11,738, the average per family being 5-03 and 3-03 respectively. The total amount paid during the year was £61,008. The total annual value of all allowances in force at the close of the year was £59,205. The latter averaged £15 6s. 2d. per annum each, or just a trifle under 6s. weekly, the maximum for three children. Weekly Pates at which Allowances granted. Weekly Rate. Number. Weekly Bate. Number. Is. .. 7 9s. .. 1 2s. .. .. .. 291 10s. .. .. 56 3s. .. .. .. 9 12s. .. .. 21 4s. .. .. . . 279 14s. .. .. .. 9 ss. .. .. .. 5 16s. .. . . . 1 6s. -. .. . . 215 18s. .. . . .. 1 7s. .. .. . . 5 Bs. .. .. ..104 1,004 Numbers according to Size of Family. Number of Children Number of . Number of Children Number of in excess of Two. Families. in excess of Two. Families. 1 ■• .. .. 272 7 . . . . 8 2 .. .. .. 294 8 .. .. 2 3 .. .. .. 222 9 . . .. 1 4 .. .. 112 5 .. .. ..65 1,004 6 .. .. .. 28

Government. Class of Pension. 31st March, v'alulf' Penskm S ' £ £ s. d. £ Great Britain .. .. War .. .. 1,696 87,570 52 0 0\ lfi9 , 7n ,, .. .. Army and civil .. 785 59,840 76 0 Of ' Australia .. .. .. War .. .. 542 25,445 ! 46 19 0 25,818 India .. .. .. Army and civil .. 72 19,390 269 0 0 20,358 South Africa .. .. War .. .. 2 115 57 7 0 118 .. Civil .. .. 29 4,191 144 0 0 3,885 Crown Colonies .. .. „ .. 24 6,496 270 0 0 8,825 Canada .. . . .. War .. . . 1 181 180 15 0 712 Totals.. .. .. 3,151 203,228 | .. 222,186 I I