THEIR LAST HOPE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 5

THEIR LAST HOPE.

: PENSIONS FOE. MAOEI WAR -:; '■■ -: • .-VETERANS. ; ,. ; \' .-//.. The following appeal, dated August 31, from Mr." S.. Stidolph, secretary, of the New Zealand Veterans' .Association, should quicken- the interest of members of Parliament and tho public, in the petition;6f,these / old.soldiers now-before •Parliament.: They ..ask that the old age pension:shall given, to' the; few remaining, veterans as' a military pension, /and ■ that. the :restrictibhs attached to ■ the -pension as a civil grant should, be removed.- "■'The -amount involved is comparatively: small, : -: and owing to the ■ ad:vanced age -of -most ; of the old. soldiers the : -payments would, to: be long: continued;—. ■''.'. ■"Sir,—With- regard to the above claim, I: wish to di'aw the, attention of your .readers ' and their represontativos in fParliament assembled to the old age pension. Most of the veterans, look upon it no.t as a reward, but ;as,a means-to keep! the •'improvident and 'unfortunate from 'starving. The thrifty it : does- not reach.V- Why could not we ;.adopt: the plan: of mutual contributions carried out in so that when a man re.ached , ' the , ;ag'e..when work became' .a burdon he could then claim the pension as . a right—as something that belonged ■ to. him? Now, I.want to put it plain toybu—what does' the-Government do for their \ civil servants, policemen, etc.,' of the Dominion when .they reach a 1 certain age? They:retire them on pensions. Will you deny this same justice to those few in number who fought yfiur battles in the.past? Will you turn your backs to their humble petition, and refuse them'lhe- rights that aro freely granted, in other-countries? I say again, will; you still.delay till too.Into? Here are a few instances, of veterans requiring :assistance :-VVV;B., G8 • years (sick wife, old and feeblfi),; works on " the wharf; - week before-last'earned as.; came to, the Veterans' Association for help; no money for the rent, and only a, small pittance' to buy food, etel ; Mow far, readers, would that small ; sum do, you? And because of his earnings he js deprived of the old age pensioii; when what ho docs earn is not enough to keep the pot boiling..; 'J.B.' works also on the wharf, but is not : able to get constant work through being past the age. .Can you imagine the privations endured by those two men to keep : their humble homes together—'your ' New Zealand War Veterans'? 'J.C.,''sß years old,, saved., a little:: money, • lives' on.. a small ■" section with his J wife. Think of the luxuries that 10s. per week would bring to them! That small sum per week would bring joy -. and pleasure to those who so well deserve a little consideration, and be the. means of cheering, tho last, few years of their, lives. 'Who are these old soldiers? Tour pioneer settlers, who dropped the plough; axe, and even the pen to defend the hearths and homes of. those left behind—to hold the homes they made in this fair'land of ours. Wβ ask members of Parliament' to think of that, and. now-that they want assistance, will you show by your actions'that) you are worthy' of the traditions of patriotism of those who have the power to doja noble action, by passing a short Act before it is. too .late. We appeal to no party, but to the whole of the members in Parliament assembled. Instead of the petition signed only ;by tho veterans, we could have got ono starting from Invercargill to Auckland—but why should we do so? Surely the appeal does not want that? ■■■-.' . . If- it was not for the sake of others, sir, I would never have written this on behalf of the settler-, soldiers of New Zealand."