OLD AGE PENSION LAW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 863, 8 July 1910, Page 2

OLD AGE PENSION LAW.

LIMIT OF SAVINGS TO BE INCREASED. .SHOULD WOMEN GET PENSION AT GO? Several important, mutters relating to the old age pension law were brought under the notice of the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) yesterday by a deputation consisting of about 50 members of the .House. -Mr. T. E. Taylor (Chri.-tchiirch North) said that the. deputation which waited on Sir Joseph hist year did not; contemplate any amendment which would place pensioners under any further disability. Although the alterations in t/uestion had been a benefit to a majority of the pensioners it had had the effect of reducing the amount of pension in a number of cases. This was especially the ease where the pensions of a wile and a husband were computed together. Apart from .Mr. Allen and one or two others, members did not realise what wouhl be the effect of the amendments. It, meant this: that people who had no cottage, but who had ul'ot) in personal property, had their pension reduced by ,t:l ror every A'JI), Tneu, again, if they had a cottage, and, say, Xtb or .JC3U in money, tliev lost .i'.'l per annum of their pension. "What the deputation would ask was that the law .should bo so amended as to allow pensioners to hold a limited amount of money without disadvantage so far as their pension was cniicwricd. • •*'' asst 'J" (Leader of the Opposition j saiil that prior to the amending legislation, a pensioner was entitled to hold X')o of personal property. That provision was, however, practically repealed last year. Speaking generally, lie thought that members did not intend anything of the Kind. (Hear, hears.) It was hoped ■.hat the deject would he remedied this session. Baylor: If a man draws a fewpounds iroin ths bank it is counted as income, :md his pension is reduced correspondingly, uo matter for what purpose the money is required. The Hon. A. E. Guinness (Speaker of the House) pointed out that the Department had ruled ilia t money so drawn was income, but magistrates were not agreed on the point. He said that wheii he raised the point in a case the magistrate in his district ruled in his favour. He had heard, however, that magistrates in other districts had ruled otherwise. Mr. Russell: That is the case at Christchurch. Mr. Guinness contondcil that the pension age in respect of women should be reduced to GO as was the case in the Commonwealth. .llr. Russell (Avon) said that he could give some shocking instances which had arisen owing to the amendments last year. Illl'. Giiiniio.?;: And I could tell' of doznns. jUr. Wright (Wellington South) strongly favoured the reduction of tho pension age to 00 in the ease of women if it were possible. E. 11. Taylor (Thames) declared taat a pensioner in his district had hod his pension reduced because he had drawn X 8 from the bank to bury his wife. •MY. Guthrie (Oroun) referred to the hardships which accrued as a result oi' pensioners receiving gratuities. _Mr. l\\rata (Southern Maori) hoped that Natives as well as pakehas would benefit a result of any amending legislation. Other speakers were Messrs. Lang, Davey, Anderson, Hapan, Kll, Okey, Marnier, and Graham. The Prime Minister paid that he proposed to submit amending legislation this year. hears.) The deductions owins to the amendment in. question totalled cC'2Bl6, and affected 900 pensioners. What was required was an exemption un to *£50. (Hear, hears.) He was prepared to put that in a Bill and let it go through, a for it would, he thought, be sufficient to meet the whole position. There were some points among those which had been mentioned which would be difficult to meet. As regards the one mentioned by Jlr. Guthrie, he would like to point out that there would be an outcry if there were any discrimination. If pensioners were to bo alio ued to accept: gratuities without their pensions being afU'cted, it would open the door to pensioners being employed at reduced rates. With reference to what was to be counted income, that point was left to the magistrates to decide. No attempt had bee.n made by the Department to influence their ruling. jMr. Jlassey: Could you not get a declaratory judgment.' Sir Joseph: Yes; that could be done, but it would bo better to have legislation. Mr. Russell: You sec, there is 110 appeal from the decision of the magistrate on such a matter. Sir Joseph: I think that that is to avoid expense. Resuming, Sir Joseph said that if tho propositi to reduce the pension age in the ease of women could be carried out, he honed to do it. Generally speaking, the Now Zealand law was more favourable than the Australian law on the question of pensions. lie would get a return prepared showing what it would mean before he could give an affirmative'answer to the proposal. Sir. Graham said lie hoped that now money drawn from a bank should not be counted us income. Sir Joseph: 1 agree with what has been said 011 the matter.