WAR PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 6

WAR PENSIONS

LIBERAL CONCESSIONS. PROPOSED

PENSIONS BY RIGHT

AGGREGATE LIMITS ABOLISHED

Some liberal concessions aro. made by tho Government in tl*e War Pensions Amendment Bill .whichwas introduced ul tho House of Representatives yesterday 'afteruon by Governor's Message.

'J-'he provisions of the principal Act are o.vtended to members oi the Expeditionary li'orce prior to their departure }rom Sew Zealand, and alst .to persons en. guged in New Zealand on military servies in connection with the war. The Tensions Hoard is to decide. every" Question by tho votes of not less than two members, and the chairman is to have n deliberative vote only. The pension of a, female dependant of a member of the Force is to : cease, on .her marriage. The clause in the principal Act relating to special pensions to parents of deceased soldiers, even when the parents are not dependants, is made more liberal by the omission.- of all age limitations. The principal Act : provided for mothers to be over fifty and fathers over fifty-five before being entitled to pensions. This provision is extended to the parents of disabled as well as of deceased' se'eiers. It is also provided that the pension of a. widowed mother whose son was her : sole support shall 'not in any case bo less than would have been payablo to a wife. The practice of paying, pensions outside of New Zealand is provided for. A new principle in the computation of pensions is set up in a .section stating that the. pension : payable to a member of the Forces or to the wife or child of such. meml>er shall not take into -consideration the property or income from any source, of the applicant. In the case of dependants other than wives and children, the property and income shall, bo teken. into consideration. . This clause goes very near, to establishing "the pension by right'/,' except that before'the pension is granted it must be applied for. The definition , of "dependant". in the original Act is so. widened as to provide that the board may grant <a' pension to a person who satisfies the board that by reason, of a soldier's death or disable ment he has suffered material loss of in come or property. On general lines, pensions commence as at the date of death or from the date of discharge, although the board, is allowed to fix a furthei date when applications are made after tho proper time, or. to wives married after the disablement of their husbands, or to children born subsequent to the occasion of the pension. A special clause provides tliat where applicants for. pensions are the 'recipients of pensions from the. Imperial or other authorities in. respect of this waT (other. than- pensions attached to honours), such amounts shall be deducted from the sum to - which they are en. titled. This seotion is retrospective :'n its action. An' important clause abolishes the schedules of the original Act, which set a maximum to the pensions which could be drawn. Provision is also made, for' extending the Act to certain men serving on the Philomel (and other vessels /if necessary).