The Dominion WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17. 1913. PENSIONS AND REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1934, 17 December 1913, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17. 1913. PENSIONS AND REFORM.

One of the political fairy-talcs which until recently was>persistently dinned into the ears of the electors by Anti-Reform pleaders was. that as soon as Mn. Massey and his party took office they would proceed to tear down the structure of humanitarian legislation reared by. the Liberal party. Time and actual events have exposed this stupid ; iiir. vention and proved it to be on.a" par with most of the political : pro? fessions of the party responsible for its authorship. The unscrupulous suggestions that the Reform ■ int'iit would tamper with . pensions ■ legislation, to select an outstanding example, was a dishonest fabrication of the most contemptible."eliar-': , acter, for it not only did a f'se'rious: injustice to the Reform Party,- : --but it may possibly have caused.;' need-, less anxiety to many old ! ing colonists in receipt of iug forward to their old age": pensions. So far from attempting,."to,,; limit in any degree . the beneficent, operation of the pensions'.. 7 tion, the present' Government:" has '/■ recognised in the most, practical way". J its duty of extending" and liberal is-;.'' ing this legislation 'to tho?:? utmost 1 ? InossiWa extent,, and has daae-frngra*^

iivVthis'?cliri;ctior^ .ahd^a^hal fJj.oKofiiw^Uiiin,;~ilii 'oppi iij J ■ihgf i if $*■' ] p'l'.yi-i- rT UI hiri 11ivi-'riiiiii'iij. niiis I 'd6iu^h*tliis^way" : !!ii:ir&liiUiiiutid' :in. : of f hiimiiir'aTili'tfTii'-ii :tion>-in'*thethistory I ic' .;legisla tiomS-jgTiic, Clow i ; » me n I,'m Ii nil',' .''of ?. ,tlic'?;Cpjin ti-yA was i\< t hclfe'W i 1 i I ;i'i'-y ! ,:Pensions*iA|tyfflßl2^Swl)ic!i;;:- : (-c)ii'. a '■year'f New: Zealand •War' : veterans;..had.§failed; duringf-a long teririSbf-^ycarslfoj secure.?.rccog-t hitibn': j of.Kth'eiiv|justjrclaims-. , at-yf.l.lie':. hands'., of; Uie-».Cbntinu6us- : ;-Minist:-y*: but ',the/.Rcf6rm.^Goy'ernmcct'v-. .seized ■ the' first:;6ppbrtuiiity;3;bfg;grariting : ' some-.- : ,compen'sation:K t£ : *?thc,£fcold. soldicrs'.f6r;'Uieiroseryices3"toi:ith'e! S tare-' a n Is: d'-f ■ un? , dergonc.'-ou vjtsV.. behalf 'S : iri ; 4 by gone! years.--;-): mcrcjyj!an" install ■'■re£brmi'Siaiidyfyeme'diccl.S h a'single vinjustiee,f; ; ;:;but : 33uring\vthc; scssion.' : of. Parliament. which-.has ; j ust endedJUnvGovernment handled (the whole,;' subject: of'pensions- ■;, legisla« tionJh)a, comprehensive'-way, and so far;improved ■■■■.upon thel::.previonsly ' as once and for all to;silence".:-.its, critics;!and dctraeThe rmostrf important 1 :;.' of two measures.''dealing ■';" with.*''» pensions which were'passed- during the session was..an-Act-which consolidates the various "Acts relating to old age. widow-s','iand.'military pensions, and incorporates besides a number of amendments involving considerable concessions;; to, beneficiaries. The Pensions Act of. 1913.d0cs away entirely with the income and property qualifications in the-case of military pensioners. ,-The full military pension of £36 is now.,payable to all New Zealand war medallists of good character .who have resided in New Zealand, except for short during the ten years .. immediately preceding the date, of application. The pension' age for women is reduced by the Act'-from-65 years to 60. _ This is, perhaps the- best provision in a statute which is rich in worthy . of commendation. The political opponents, of the present Government, when in office, had long talked about this reform, but it was left to tho party which they had so shamelessly maligned to convert ! professions into deeds. - The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, who has been in charge of the ■■ successive Pensions Acts placed upon the Statute Book since the Government took office, stated, in moving the second reading of the Pensions Act, that the total number of women who would be afforded relief under the age reduction provision was estimated at more than 10,300. As the law stood prior to the passing of the Pensions Act of last session, an applicant why had been absent from the country for more than four years during tho qualifying period, no matter how long his total residence.had been, was debarred from obtaining the old age pension. This bore, hardly upon many worthy old colonists who had fallen upon misfortune in their later years, and the disability has now been to a considerable extent modified. Under the new Aet permissible, absence is arranged upon a graduated scale. If an applicant has been resident in 1 the Dominion for 25 years,-tho permissible absence during that period is two years. Residence of 29 years entitles the applicant, to have-been absent;-': for four years; residence of 33 years for six years; and so on, the-'maximum permissible-' absence being 2-2 years in the case of an applicant \vho has been a resident of the Dominion for 65 years, A far-reaching amendment provides that any increase in the value of a property used exclusively ' as a home subsequent to the original granting of a pension shall not affect the amount of the pension. Another commendable provision exempts the value of a widow's homo, to the amount of £340, from computation, when the amount of her pension is being assessed. The definition of "child" under the widows' pensions section of the Act is extended to include step-children and also children legally adopted during the life-time of the applicant's husband. Numerous minor benefits are conferred under the Act. For instance, the amount of the maximum joint income' (including pension) which two old people may enjoy is raised from £90 to £100. and Friendly Society benefits, reasonable expenditure from capital, charitable relief, gifts from relatives to the amount of £52 in any year, and some other benefits are now exempt as income' for purposes of both old age and widows', pensions; . An alteration worthy of special notice is that relating to convictions:, of pensioners for.,drunkenness.,;*' The compulsory provisions under" the old law directing the forfeiture, of one or more, instalments of. pension as a penalty for drunkenness have been repealed, and the., Commissioner is, now empowered to pay an.agent,-''or-to suspend payment, as may bo deemed de-sirable;.-The.. Magistrate still has power to'refuse the renewal-,of-a pension -if-; the? habits -, of the.."' pensioner .warrant;;' this "drastic': step. Stern moralists, may ca'viPat the action taken.: in -reducing the severity of the., penalty" imposed ... on a- pensioner- guilty. of. a lapse, from sober habits,--. but' : -'the.. : great'"-'body .of humane and .reasonable, people will applaud -it;4i-Nothing:,., .more is. implied than' that the' ■. pensioner, who falls from grace"-'-will be • given :,'a chance to. reform jbeforc "a v |penalty which means'.'reducing him to''a state of ■'destitutio'ri"*is:'applicd;'s pip';- 1; -' : Another Act:'calcuiated:to.increase the beneficent' scope;, of .the pensions system is the. Old: Age Reciprocity... Act; which ~was-;passed by the.New .Parliament last session;.but :into operation..: when ■'.. a., similar., Act- is pas'secL'in the.., Australian Commonwealth Parliament. .An, arrangement on''behalf;-of: the-two .-countries' was tentatively last year, by the HoNr'-iA; 'VFisheh, -■ then. : Prime Minister- of the Commonwealth, and "the IIon.V : F, :"M. : ,.8. ' Fisueh, : New ZealandvjMinistcrrf!-'.of ;}, Pensions. Underfits-.iterms residence ..-in „. New Zealand".is-:td, ntialify for .v pension in ' .'the "and" vice ;rm<i-.'>flt;is stipulated-that the np : . twelve "months: immediately ..'preceding, the 'datcif ./in * the ' country'.in-whicb .the.)application .is 'made. 1 ?; Tlie? ; faetf ; -that: the .Labour Gbye.nimeht^.weii't; : /(iut .-'of caul d;be tlnall.v.-?ratified ) woalth:|:))oliti.cs\;haveVssinc('vbeeii,;in ! ;i s 'sbHicw,hiit^'chaotic^stntcj*h, , is\nmde ; Vocal but ;no-'doubt"' itjviyill; beKratificdjfihefo/'e ,' *a'n; ; pass-) ed: in? NcwjJ'Zca'la'nd j ; fe: : E\;on )j ts ? worst 7 :■ )Gbvcrnmeiit;jh'as*donei;good|)s;;ork;iiii ■ ■th'oi:\ncl'd'6.t:pflii3ions : :legißla'(ion,':.'and' ■ :haitadcqaatciy);';dißp6Bedlbf>);tho'^b-!l :

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