WAR PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3134, 12 July 1917, Page 4

WAR PENSIONS

DETAILS OF BRITISH SCHEME. "Full particulars relating to the new scheme of British war pensions have been received in New Zealand," said the Prime Minister in arswer to a question in the House of Representatives, "and it is clear that the provisions of tho scheme ara much iu advance of anything previously provided in tho Old Country. In tii'e new scheme an attempt has beeu mado to discriminate ir. favour of soldiers whoso pre-war earnings were more than -£l 7s. 6d. per week, but this discrimination does not extend beyond pre-war earnings of X 5 per week, for which the maximum pension is .£3 las. per week. Pre-war earnings are defined as the average weekly earnings of a soldier during the twulve months preceding the commencement of the war.

"In Britain no pension is provided for the wife, and .£1 lis. per week is tho maximum for the .soldier, his wife, and children. •In assessing the maximum pension in Britain, not only the soldier's actual earnings but the average earnings of which he is capable are taken into consideration. The provisions of the existing law in New Zealand are for the most part well in advance of similar proposals ir. Great Britain. Any direction; however, in which the New Zealand schemo can be benefited on the linos'of the British scheme are being carefully considered, it beftig the. desire of the' Government to make Hie bfst provisions possible for our soldiers and their dependants."