OLD AGE PENSIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 173, 24 July 1942, Page 4

OLD AGE PENSIONS

I congratulate Dorothy Derig on her able reply to "C.L." I also strongly feel that old age pensioners are acting unwisely in trying to induce the Labour Government into granting an extra 10/ a week on their pensions. When New Zealand is engaged in a life and death struggle it is not friendly for pensioners to demand by threat their pound of flesh from the overburdened taxpayer. It is to be greatly regretted that old age pensioners do not seem to realise that thousands of family men, who earn approximately £4 18/ a week net, have to keep a wife and four or five children on it; while a couple of pensioners get £3 3/ between them, tax free, plus in many cases £1 a week which the husband usually can earn, doing light work, which means £4 3/ for two, against £4 18/ a week for five and often more in a growing family. Not satis•v? *" e f® misguided people demand still a higher pension. Surely in the present circumstances such demands are unfair to say the least I am told that old age pensions in J\ew Zealand are the third highest in the world. Why not show a little appreciation. FAIR PLAY.