THE MATTER OP PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 11

THE MATTER OP PENSIONS

The Seleot Committee on Pensions, which has been sitting, has increased the scale of allowances to the wives, widows, and dependents of soldiers and Bailors —or, rather, has recommended the increase, which is almost certain to oome into effect, states an English writer. The partial disablement allowance was on a scale of 17s. 6d. to 3s. 6d., but the new scale proposes £1 to ss. a week, with the wages the man may be capable of earning, and in no case less than 10s. 6d. a week for the •loss of a limb. There is also a discretionary increase up to 2s. 6d. a week for each child, • and in the case of motherless children the separation allowance of 3s. 7d. a week is to be increased to ss. each. The proposed separation allowance for wives is 12s. 6d., with 17s. 6d. to wives with one s child, 21s. with two children 235. with \ three children, and 255. with four ohild- . Ten, while widows on remarriage are to receive a gratuity equal to two years of the Government pension. The suggestion is made that the Prince of (Wales's Fund or other charitable funds 'should be invited to supplement the Government allowance where it appears desirable to do so. Payments for children in all cases will continue till the child is 16 years of age, and in special cases even longer. There will bo no disposition to cavil at the extra expense to the nation, for the women and children and dependents of the men who are fighting and in thousands of cases sacrificing their own future for the national cause should be an honoured charge on the country. The lowest pension paid to a soldier's widow without children will be 10s., which will at least prevent starvation, and to which most of the young women will add by their own exertions. And all are agreed that the men who are disabled in our wars must be maintained. Those who are not fighting are in honour bound for those who are. But, iwhile the pay and conditions of the 'Army have been improved, those of the Navy have suffered by the _ Act which took away their prize-money in this war. The promise of the Government to introduce a new scheme pf "poundage" has so far resulted in nothing, and both the Navy and the public are looking forward to the paying over of prizemoney to officers and men m proportion (to their claims.

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