PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

WAR PENSIONS . INCREASED RATE FOR CHILDREN A POPULAR CONCESSION The House of -Representatives met at 2.30' p.m. • The Invercargill Athenaeum Bill (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) and the Mangawhero County Bill (Mr. R. W, Smith) v-were introduced and read a first time. PENSIONS BILL AMENDED. -Amendments to the War Pensions Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor's Message,'and referred to'the Committee. on the Bill. The PRIME MINISTER explained-that the amendment was to increase the pen-sions-rate for children from ss.'to 7s'. Cd. per week. (Loud and general applause.) Replying to. Dr. Thacker; he said that tho increased pension would be payable to till children of any soldier, and not. only to a limited number. (Applause.) Mr.- Massey said that another amendment was proposed, but it would not require a Governor's Message. . The Bill proposed , that pensions should be payablo to- widows regardless of • their: income. Tho House would be asked to agree, to an amendment providing that ■ widows with incomes of -EGOO a year should not be entitled to a pension. (Applause.) This would not apply to the children of such widows. Theso children would 'bo entitled- to a .pension in the ordinary way. IN COMMITTEE. /Tho Bill was oomniitted . The Hon. J. Allen said that the Increased pension to children would be made retrospective. ■ Mr.. R...M'Calluiu (Wairau) said that he. and, he hoped, ,gther. members "of moderate views were satisfied with' the new concessions made in the' Bill. He waa one of those who thought that rather than ■ treat our men in -a nig9?irdly way wo should BTen send fewer men, but'lie did not think that'with the Act of last year .and the amendmont of this year : it could .-bo said we were not treating-them liberally- • ' " . "■ . - Mi-. G. J. Anderson (Mataura) said. ho thought -tho limit 6f income was very .high. He'was prepared ,to ■ ngreo <to a limit of ,£3OO. .However/ lie would not protest against an. error on tho liberal Bide such as -tliat proposed. He was of opinion that the pensions now proposed ,werc> as liberal as this countrv could af. ford. ■ i ' Jlr. G. -Witty (Riccarton) objected to the limit of .£6OO, or to any limit' whatsoever. .. . ■ ■ v ill". P. C. Webb (Grey) asked for. more taxation to make possible an increase in tho rate of pay up to at least ,£2 10s.. per..week, and a corresDonding increase in pension-. ..- •* ■ '. X Other members carried on' the'debate oh very much, the same -lines ns that on tho second reading. . Those--Alleged Delays. :' The Hon. J.. Allen, in referring to complaints 'regarding alleged delays in the granting,/of pensions,, said'that the: : Pensions Board was working- most indefatigably. Tho' claims were being 'dealt with - as* expeditiously as possible, and at present were not more tlia'n ; about 130 or 140 claims that had not been' dealt with. Ho Tead two letters—one -from a Wounded soldier, and the' other from the mother-of a deceased soldier—expressing eatisfaction - with the .prompt' way in which claims : for pension had' been-ilealt with. The member for Waitemata had • suggested that tho'provision, to', the effect that a lump -'sum 1 -might lie granted'to-a widow on re-marringe-,- should ..Cd withdrawn, and that, provision 'for the, continuation- of the pension; or. a,/portion of. it be substituted.' .When this clause waa' reached he, hoped to bfi'ablty to- do something to meet this member's wishes. '.'

■ -Records, at Risk.. • ■ ' Pool ° ( Auckl!u >d West) said that toe Governmeut was, running/a gravo* risk in moving the Expeditionary Eoren records to a-tin shejl atr'tho.back of tho Government Buildings.; If anything hap. pened, if there should be a fire, iii the main would n6t,be' a record left. Por a' little more expense thb/Gov.., . eminent might have',been--able to'put up a concrete .building : which "inightv havo. housed in-ample security records 0 f such vital importance. He was just beginning: to suggest that ..the acre or ■ so of .under the new. Parliament:-! Buildings taight be used, when ho was ruled out of order. .... Mr. H. G. Ell (Christchurch South)' gave a similar warning of the need-,for .keeping the'records safe. - - -'! - -, . The Hon. Allen said :he-was just as* rcuch concerned as any member- of "the House about the safety of the'records.'be:' cause he knew the 'value.:of the records' But new quarters . •Branch were, absolutely necessary 'mid they .were heing. provided. •- -The'new. building would bo.as.hear.,fireproof, as -the. Public Works Department;could'niake'rt.' Ihere would ba a watchman on duty the whole night through, an 'additional -watch. > na mi o look after this building special-! ly. The only possible -danger would be. in ' case of tho large building being destroyed by fire. . , ? -~ Dr.-A.'K. Newman (Wellington t East) drew tho Minister's attention 'to, one' grievance of soldiew—tho gap sometimes occurring between their, discharge aiid the grant of the pension. Sometimes ai man was discharged early in the month; and •did .not get his pension, untilY!tli'e end.. Meanwhile he had to go about gettingmoney from his friends. ••» : - Mr. Allen: That's all been' altered. . Newman It's mighty '.''recently then. .- -...- '.- '. ■ Mr, Allen nodded/assent. ; ' ir'.. ' Mr. H. J. H. Okey (Tnranaki)* pressed for an increase in allowance for the first child at least. He did not think 15s; (a ■week wouid be too much. Every, married /nan know, that the cost of keeping one or two additional children - was' not heavy, but the. possession ,of . one ohild . would prevent; a woman from carning her living. Property, qf. Soldiers'. • . Mr. A.- H. Hindmarsh referred,to the question of foreclosure by biy'ldirig ' societies oil the properties of soldiers'.. Provision should be- made , against this; Mr. _J. Vigor Brown' said that he did-' not think that any building society would foreclose on the property of anv man who poes to the front. If it did, its license, if it had one, should be cancelled.. Mr. 11. J. H. Okey 'urged that the | widows and children of deceased-soldiers I should not be stinted. If widows, with • one child could be given a little extra it would bo a wise as well' as a just step. . Pensions for Children, The_ Hon. J. Allen pointed out that the New Zealand provision, of 7s. Gd. a week for all-children was.better than the' Australian proposal of 10s. for the first child, 7st. Gd. for the second, and ss.'for the third. ..Members should accept! this ns being the best the Government pould see its way to do in the meantime... Mr. Hindmarsh pleaded -.with the Minister "to spring another half-s'-crown . a week for the youngsters." l'ailing Hint,would the Minister consider.' a proposal, to give banking assistance to . the sol-' diers? ■■'■•.• Mr. T. A. H. Field contended that there were' more families of from ono lo three children than families from four to six children. The Australian scheme was better for families of one and two children and equal -for three - children with the New Zealand proposals, but after that he admitted the New Zealand Bcheme was better. .'. Sir. H. Ct. Ell . said more lrioney would have' to be raised for paying pensions He did not see why the limitation on Income la* should not be .reduced. Mr. Witty pleaded for thj country tfl lead the world, as it had done'in formei years. Now it dragged behind. The Dominion was strong enough to giv{ this lead as huge profits were being, made. "3fr. Webb warned . the. Government e»suiist passing a conscription measure c.ithout making full and adequate provision fo ( r returned soldiers and their .do pendants. Prime Minister Remonstrates. ' Tho Primo Minister rose at- 9.10 p.m. wd remonstrated -with those honoviablo

members who were holding up the Bill L'ast year's Bill had been an experiment, and. noiv that its weaknesses had been discovered they wero being remedied. He 'thought the Bill now beibro the House was such that;the ptoplo and Parliament should bo satisfied wicli it. The members were jiot treating tho Government fairly .111 obstructing it. As he had said, the Hill was only tho foundation of our pensions legislation. If after a time tho country could aiiord to improve it the legislation would be improved. This, tho promise lie had given, and this .Voiuise would be kept. If members wanted to put 'the Bill on the Statute Book they should allow it to go on beyond tho 'short title, and thereafter assist the Government to improve the Bill. If 'tho Bill was held up he would have to move to report progress, and he certainly did not want to do that. However, if members wanted a week or two to consider it, tho Bill could ho held ovor, and tho Government could go on* with other legislation. But he was anxious that tho Bill should become law at the. earliest possible moinent in order that, the dependants cf soldiers might get tho benefit of the new . proposals. - ' Tho short title of the Bill was agreed to at 9'30 p.m. ' Amendments. ' On Clause 6, which provides that a pension to a. female dependant shall cease oa' her remarriage, Mr. A. Harris moved an. amendment relating to tfle gratuity which may bo paid to u widow on her refnarriage, that suoli gratuity might be paid in a lump sum or in instalments. The amendment.was agreed to. .The Minister moved (on Clause 9) tliii amendment to which Jie had referred earlier, that .110 pension should. bo payable to widows in receipt of an income of <£GG3 a year or more. ' The amendment wa?. agreed to. Bad Characters. The new eiauses- were \ introduced. 'Mr. Wiltorti took, to the clause giving tho ooaru pmver to refuse pensions lo persons wno, m the opinion of tiie board, wore notoriously bad char-. actiSs. He cohsiuered tuat it was dangerous to ailow the board any sucli power. The 'Minister said tliat tlio object of the sale-guard was to prevent a certain class of temales from ootaimng pensions. Ho said that tlie clause nad been asked lor by the board after a year's experience. If tne House objected, to tlie clause it could rbe withdrawn, but tho board wouid simply have to grant pensions one day and talce them away the next for misconduct: —a power whicn they already had. This had happened already, and it was a ridiculous state of affairs. Other members objected to the clause. The Prime Minister said that perhaps • the clause , required safeguards. He would ask tlie House,. however,' to let it ' go through, with' tho understanding that tho Government would review tho clause carefully before tlie third reading. \ • The clause was then allowed to pass. The other 1 new clause to .increase the allowance to' children from ss. to 7s.- 6d. was agreed to without discussion. The Bill was reported with amendments and tlie House rose at 10,42 p.m.