PENSIONS LAW.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 6

PENSIONS LAW.

NO TAMPERING WITH MAGIS. TRATES.

The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in charge of pensions, made a statement to the House of Representatives yesterday concerning an allegation made a'few dflv's ago by Sir Arthur Guinness, member for Grey, to the effect thnt magistrates had been instructed by the Pensions Department to put certain interpretations on certain clauses of the Pensions Acts. Mr, Fisher said he had addressed tlie following memorandum to Mr. B, Robertson> Commissioner of Old Age Pensions:—

"Please let mo have a return at once of the number of circulars and the nature of each circular sent by cither tho Old Ago Pensions Or the Widows' : Pensions Deportment to magistrates during the last ten years." And he had received tho following reply

"In reply to your memorandum of to-day, asking for a return of tho number of circulars' and the nature of eacli circular sent by either the Old Aj;e Pensions or the Widows' Pensions Department to magistrates during tho past ten yearsl I havo (0 advise that at no time during the past ten years, or nt ftny time, has anv circular been issued to any magistrate by the Old Age Pensions or tho Widows' Pensions Departments."

Mr. Fisher said lie thought it was duft to the officers in charge of these Departments that he should make this s.alemont. He added that it was scarcely conceivable tlint any Department would presuirto to issuo instructions to magistrates as to what interpretation should be put upon Acts of Parliament.