LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE PENSION BILL. Sin, If wo in the Dominion carnioi afford to maintain the children fairly we ought not to send married men to fight. _ The pensions to widows 6eem fair, though it need not bo so much for officors' widows; but the allowance fo? children of ss. a week each is absurd. In affiliation cases tho Courts allowed 7s. a week many years ago, and Bs. a week ivith a good outfit of clothes • id given by tho Dominion for boarding out orphans and other children. So that the Dominion stultifies itself in saying that ss. is enough for the children of 1dead or disabled soldier. The widow; without children is much better off fo? she is free to earn something in addij tion to her pension, but if with several young children sho will not be 'fit for tbo work, and each.child will take front 3s. to ss. a week out of her allowance* It would be much better to make a, good allowance of, say, 10s. each a week up to two children, and refuse to take any married man- with-more than ona child already born unless he is able tv make proper provision for tho rest.—l am. etc., ERIC WIirrCOMBE. - Eketahuna.

Sir, —The Pons ions Bill, as proposed' by tho Government, has created- a very) favourable impression upon the -public* undoubtedly, but there is one point upotf which some of us would like a littltf definite information. It is provided that-, whero a. man's dependants have means of their own (which means ia effect that , if they receive euch meand by bequest from the man himself) this fact" will be taken into consideration when granting tho. annuity which ifl to compensate for tho loss of the bread* winner. In explaining this clause, thai lion. Minister took an extreme where, a widow or dependant was as 4 sumed to have an income of £1000 a year, but unfortunately he did not r<>» fer to the muoh more probable, case ofi whoro the widow; or depondaufc has, sayj £100 a. year of her, own, either in lielj. own right or_ bequeathed to her by tha deceased soldier. - As nutters stand, thai Act is apparently rather vague on this poiiit, and it would she a , service to thej public If some member would raisei thd question in tlio House, and endeavouij to havo something definite laid down.int the Act, evc-n if only for the guidance of those administering it in tho future. Take the case of a man earning at fair Income, enabling him to maintain his family in tolerable comfort and to educate his children properly to fit them for life's battle. Such, an individual would very probably own his own house, and possibly other small property, which' would be bequeathed to his widow oi children, and would provide them witt an income of, say, approximately £101 a year. He volunteers,, and. in. due course is killed. Under the present Act,' when his widow, applies for her pen-, sion, she can be'informed that she ia, debarred' on account of her income,' which, in itself, will only, provide a barq existence, but which; added- to tha amount of the pension, will just en* able her to provide those extra advan* tages of education for her sons'or daughters which would have been provided ■with ease if the mainstay: of the family had not voluuteiered. An injustice wilt - be .done; The volunteer has his life of comfort, gladly,' even but when it means also sacrificing tha comfort of those near and dear W him; as well as the future prospects o£ the childron who ho fondly hopes will follow in his footsteps, then I contend' that too much is being asked. For these reasons it, would add to the justice of the Act if a minimum!: incomo worn stated, -the possession of anything under the minimum not debarring tlio'applicant; - ' This, would la« down a definite line of procedure, and would enablo those possessing less than the minimum incomo to demand the pension as a right. It is, of couree, for the' House to fix what the minimum should.be. but it is obvious that an injustice will be done ta the small-property owner who volunteers, if his legatees are in a position to bo debarred froin obtaining a pension because his energy, ability, or thrift! has left them a slender income, lioth-i ing approaching What" ho could have provided if he had lived. - It this point! is explained and settled it would ■ undoubtedly have the effect of increasing the number of recruits, as many - ara determined that upon this point shall rest the decision as to whether they are to, volunteer or not. .

Trusting you will devote some littlen spaed to this important question while the Act is. still under discussion,—V am, etc., : EX-VOLUNTEER..