OUR BILL FOR PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2525, 28 July 1915, Page 10

OUR BILL FOR PENSIONS

' THE.ANNUAL REPORT. . The seventeenth annual report of th« Tensions .Department,' for t'Jio year ended March 31, 1915, states that tho pensions in force for the year showed aa increase of 1698, representing an expenditure! of £39,188 ovor 1 tlioso for the year 1913-191-1; and ail increase for the last two years of 4138, representing an expenditure of £104,711 per year. The increase in. tho gross payments during last year wa5.£66,749, and during t'lie last two-years was £98,493. The cost per head of European population was 09. 9d. Th number of old age pensions iu. force on March 31, including 697 Natives was 19,352, an increase of 1302 on the figures of tho previous year, and 3625 new claims wero lodged during tlie year, being 7-11 less than in the.previous year. These, with 876 cases awaiting investigation at the close of the previous year, made a total of 4501, of which 3158 wero granted, 653 were rejected, ajid 690 were awaiting investigation. Since the Act had come into force in 1898, 55,721 claims had been lodged, including 6587 at Auckland, 5833 at Christclnirch. 4942 at Duucdin, and 3421 at Wellington. The gross expenditure on account of old ago pensions, during the year totalled £460,814, an increase of £44,038 on the figures of the previous year. Tho net charge against tho Consolidated Fund for the year stood at £436,765. ■ Tho numbor of widows' pensions at March 31, including those of 20 Maoris, was 1788, an increaso of 248 on- tho figures of the previous year, .and tho annual liability in regard to these at the close of the year was £34,975, the average pension payable being' £19 lis. 2d. . The number of military pensioners at March 31, including those of 253 Maoris, was 1388, an increase of 148 on t-lia figures of the previous year. The an-' hual liability in regard to this class of pensious at the close of the year wag £46,965. Tlie total deaths to datenum« bered 191, including 23 Maoris, and there was one 'cancellation. The num. bor of deaths among Europeans during the year outnumbered the new'pensioners, and it seemed to bo almost established that the usual vote under this head 'would b6 a decreasing one. The gross payments under the head of military pensions during the year totalled £47,616, an increase of £18,169 on the total of the previous year. The net dharge against the Consolidated Fuad jvas £47,607(1