WAR PENSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2518, 20 July 1915, Page 6

WAR PENSIONS.

Sir,—The nations of the world have almost invariably treated their soldiers with scant justice, and I see that ill Now Zealand the proposals for pensions are but little improvement 011 the timedishonoured way. If the Ernpiro really means anything to us, its defence is beyond price, and the men who suffer or dio to preserve it are worth common wages at least. Medals, receptions, and laudation are well enough, but if. they are not emblematical of solid justice are but froth and futile claptrap. , The men who enlist leavo positions yielding from £100 to £500 a year. 1 They accept conditions that navvies would refuse, and food that is below prison standard. They risk—liay, courtdeath and and to those who suffer the latter this country proposes to pay. a dole of £65 a year.

This is, to my mind, one of the worst features of this bad business. 'It will necessitate the relatives of many of them assisting in keeping them 'a'live, and these men should not be subjected to tho need of accepting charity, through their country's meanness. They should receive for total'disablement at least £150 a year, and'even that will prevent many of them from ever marrying and raising ' families. The cost cannot be great to a country that has gathered such a huge mass of blood-stained money into its banks—for war profits are dripping with the race's life-blood.

The rule that no pensions are to be paid oa behalf of men who die in Nqw Zealand or are posted as "missing" seems too absurd to_ believe; but-I'un-derstand that such is tho case at present. _ It is to be hoped that the new Act will alter this, as there seem no reasons why a mail's wife and children should have to face starvation in cither case.—l am, etc., REJECT. [Our correspondent is in error in assuming that no provision-is made for the families of those who may lose'their lives in New Zealand or be posted as missing. It is understood tlfat the amount to bo paid in cases of disable ment is to be materially increased.].