PENSIONS BY RIGHT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 7

PENSIONS BY RIGHT

PBIMB -MINISTER REPLIES TO A LETTER. •. , A letter has been received by the Khandallah section of the-Onsttw Re--1 cruifcing Committee from the Prime Minister (chairman of the Recruiting Board), replying to certain subjects raised by the committee. , "I would like to 'say,".-wrote the Prime Minister:."(l) That the question of pensions is now under, consideration by the Government. I would like to point out'to you that the principle whioh guided Parliament in putting the War Pensions Act oil the Statute Book was that whore the wife of a soldier -was'left, well off, - instead - of providing her with further ■ income the moiiey arailable should bo used for increasing the pensions of those not well off. It is true that in considering some of the first applications the board did not interpret some of the sections of the Act as liberally as they might have, but they have since reconsidered most of, t'he pensions first dealt with, and have nowiassessed them upon a more liberal basis'. (2)' ldo not quite understand what is meant when you gay the wives and other ''dependent's of nion on'aotive service should receive better consideration than they are at present getting. In addition to whatever allotment the soldier may make out of his pay, the Government provides "s. per week separation allowance for tlie wife, and hns recently decided to pay 3s. 6d. per week for each child under sixteen years of age up to the. number of four, with a limit, of £2 16s. per week. The provision with respect to children has been made retrospective. "I realise the difficulty of the position with respect to men with families and financial obligations, but I am isiire; your committee will understand it is impossible for the Government to differentiate between the men who.enlist in the Expeditionary Eorces. The Recruiting Board is not urging married men with family and financial responsibilities to enlist at present, because it recognises that there are many men without dependents who should first be approached and asked to serve. But it is in the interests of these men themselves that the board should have all 'the information concerning_ them that is now locked up in the National Regis-' ter under seal of confidence imposed by statute. The information is needed in order that preparation for'any contingency of the future may_ be made oh a fair and equitable basis. The Recruiting Board, therefore, urgently aslts that the personal canvass should not be relaxed in any, way until every man of military age who is on the Register has been accounted for."