PENSIONS TO VETERANS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1604, 22 November 1912, Page 4

PENSIONS TO VETERANS.

PREPARATIONS ALMOST COM- -' 1 PLETBD. ' All possible expedition has been ero> j ployed in giving effect to the Military Pensions Act of last session, which provides a maximum pension of .£36 a year for the Maori' War veterans and the Commissioner, of Pensions (Mr. G. C. Fache) hopes to make a start to-morroWupoa the distribution throughout the Dominion of application forms and other necessary papers. The following poster will be disr played in every post office and railway station in the Bominion:—, "Notice is hereby- given that the Military Pensions Act of 1912, providing for a maximum pension of -per.. annum, payable to holders Of the New, Zealand War medal, is now in force. "Forms of application will bo issued by or on behalf of bona fide applicants by the Commissioner of Military Pensions at Wellington or by the examining Officer of a district wherein the applicant resides. "Note: The examining officer is the officer in charge of an area group or the area sergeant-major, appointed under the Befence Act, 1909. "The holder of any pension certificate under tho Old Age Pensions Act or the Military Pensions Act, 1911, who has been awarded the New Zealand War medal, may forthwith obtain a military pension as above, by surrendering such certificate to the examining Officer and filling in tho necessary form of application. About fifty letters have already' been received by the commissioner from veterans who are not at present in receipt of any pension and desiro to obtain a military pension. Seventeen officers in charge of area groups and 5G area sergeantmajors have been appointed to act as examining officers. Arrangements are being made to ensure that a veteran surrendering an old ago pension shall not lose a monthly pension instalment in the process of exchanging his status for that of a military pensioner. Military penscons are to bo paid monthly, the first instalment falling due at the end of the month in which the pension is granted. The old ace pension monthly instalments aro payable m advance. As many military pensions as possible will be granted commencing from Becember 1. This will mean that tho first payments will be made on January 1, 1913. The Minister for Pensions (tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) stated in the. House ! nst session that the estimated annual • cost of the military i pensions scheme was JC25,000, but that of | this amonnt about ,£IO,OOO would be saved in old ago pensions surrendered by veterentitled to tho,military pension. Two distinct forms of application will be used in the administration of military pensions. Tho first form is that which has to be filled in by veterans now in receipt of the old age pension. Apart from formal particulars and. a declaration as to tho truth of the information supplied, this .form merely.requires the veteran to name the corps in which ho served in the Maori wars, together with his rank, regimental number (if any), paripd of service, and the names or localities of actions at which he was under fire. Applicants aro further required to produce the New Zealand War medal or to state why it is not in their possession, and to givo the name and address of.a person of repute (for preference a comrade in arms or other veteran) who is .-.able, to identify the applicant, as the person to whom 'a New Zealand War medal was awarded. For tho.use of veterans not in receipt of an old age pension, a form demanding additional particulars is supplied. On this form tho applicant is desired to give particulars as to his residence in New Zealand, periods of absence, as to whether hn has ever applied for another pension, tho income of'himself, and his wife during the past twelve months, and property or money owned by applicant or his wife.