PAY AND PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3155, 6 August 1917, Page 6

PAY AND PENSIONS

LATEST PROPOSALS

DEMANDS OF SECOND DIVISION

HOW THE SCHEME WORKS

The Second Division Conference in Wellington gave long and careful consideration to the questions of pay for soldiers and pensions for soldiers and soldiers' dependants. The conference evolved a sohemo based on the British scheme, and the following is a statement of what Hie league is to demand of Parliament as the irreducible minimum. The basic principles of the pension scheme are:— ■ (1) To place incapacitated men aid their dependants in approximately their pre-war position. (2) Inducing incapacitated men to improve their positons without penalising them. , (3) Care of incapacitated foldiers and dependants. PAY OE SOLDIERS. Left to Parliament. SEPARATION ALLOWANCES. To wife and others wholly dependant (excluding children) on all soldiers of all ranks, Ga. per day. To every child, Is. Gd. per day. To every motherless child, 2s. 6d. per day. Chronic invalid wife. 10s. per -week extra. Chronic invalid child, ss. per week extra. (No age'limit on child.) Note.—These extra allowances do not concern the question of medical attention, but are for extra attention and trouble in the home. Allowances to be paid monthly, commencing from the time a soldier' leaves for camp. * Allocated pay and allowances shall not be effected by misconduct of soldier. RATION ALLOWANCE. A ration allowance of 2s. Gd. per day for all soldiers, married or single, on final leave. PENSION ON DEATH OF SOLDIER, To widow with children, .4:2 His. per week. To widow, without children, or sole dependant, £2 ss. Gd. per week. Every child, 10s. 6d. per week. Every motherless child, -17s. Cd. per week. Chronic invalid wife, 10s. per week extra. phronic invalid child, ss. per week. (No age limit on child.) TOTALLY DISABLED SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. Single or married soldier of any rank, £2 Is. 3d. per week. Every child, 10s. 6d. per week. Every motherless child, 17s. Gd. per week. Chronic invalid wife, 10s. per wee!< extra., ' Chronic invalid child, ss. per week extra. Age limit to children receiving these benefits:—Males, 17 years; females, 20 years, excopt that- thore is no ago limit on chronic invalid children. UNMARRIED iVIVES. The conference was of opinion that unmarried wives (mistresses) and their children should have some Stale provision made in their favour. MINIMUM FLAT RATE OF PENSION. 100 per cent, incapacitated, £2 Is. 3d. 80 per cent, incapacitated, £1 13s. 70 per cent, incapacitated, £1 gs. 10.UI. , GO per cent, incapacitated, '£1 is. !M.' 50 per cent, incapacitated, .lil os. 7Jd. 40 per cent, incapacitated, 16s. Bd. 30 per cent, incapacitated, 12s. 4£d, 20 per cent, incapacitated, Bs. 3d. SCHEDULE OF DEGREES OF INCAPACITATION. First- degree (100 per cent.): (a). Loss of two or more limbs; (b) loss of a"n arm and an -eyo; (c) loss of a leg and an eye; (d) loss of both hands or of all lingers and thumbs; (f) total loss of sight; (g) total paralysis; (h) lunacy; (i) wounds, injuries or disease resulting in disabled man being permanently bedridden; (j) wounds or injuries to internal,, thoracic, or abdominal organs, involving total permanent disabling effects; (k) woumds or injuries to head or brain involving total permanent disabling effects, or Jacksonian epilepsy; (1) very severe facial disfigurement; (m) advanced cases of incurable disease.

Second degree (80 per csat.); Loss of both feet; .(b) amputation of leg at hip or right arm at shoulder joint; (c) severe facial disfigurement; (d) total loss cf speech.

Third degree (70 per cer.t).: (a) Shortthigh, amputation of leg with pelvic band, .or of left arm at shoulder joint, or of right arm above or through elbow; (b) total deafness.

Fourth degree. (GO per cent;): Amputation of leg above knee (other than third degree) and through knee, and of left arm abovo or through elbow, or of right arm below elbow. ,

Fifth degree (50 per cent.): (n) Amputation of lepr below knee (including Symes's and Chopait's amputation), or of left arm below elbow; (b) loss of vision of one eye. Sixth degree (40 per cent.); Loss of. thumb or of four fingers of right hand. Seventh degree (30 per cent.): Loss of thumb or four fingers of left hand, or of three fingers of riglit hnnd. Eighth degree (20 per cent.): Loss of two fingers of either hand. Note.—Where injuries are not scheduled pension to be at nearest rato. Note.—ln the case of left-handed men the compensation in respect, of left hand, arm, etc., to be as scheduled for right members and vice versa. ALLOWANCE FOR AN ATTENDANT. An allowance of .£1 per week extra to be made to every disabled soldier who needs an attendant. SPECIAL BENEFITS. .Allowance to lie given to men to bring their pensions up to those for the highest degree of disablement Slid to enable them to keep their wives and families (if they have to live apart from them at sanitoria, etc., or while being _ trained for vocations). All fees to be "paid by the State, and in the case of training, a sum at the rate of' 7s. Cd. per week to be given to a man for the period of its duration as a bonus at the end of it. CAPITALISING SMALL PENSIONS. ' In the case "of slight injuries, and in certain other cases (such as neurasthenia), a gratuity up to .£3OO to bo provided; gratuity to compensate for financial losses to men discharged- from camp; men medically rejected from camp after having been sent in, and whose unfitness is neither attributable to nor aggravated by their service, to receivo\'gratuit.y (with a limit, say, of J225). to be assessed according to tho financial loss . incurred through teing called into camp. AVHERE PENSION MAY BE REDUCED. If a soldier declines to undergo treatment medically certified to be in his intcrosts, half of any pension he would otherwise bo eligible for may be withheld from him. A permanent pension nlust not bo altered to his disadvantage. EXAMPLES OF DISABLEMENT PENSIONS. A totally-disabled soldier would get £1 Is. 3d. per week. For one child add 10s. 6d.—JC2 lis. 6d. per week. For two children add .SI Is— £3 2s. 3d. per week. For three children add M lis. Gd — £3 12s. 9d. per week. For four children add £2 2s.— £i 3s. 3d. per week. For five children add £3, 12s. U.—£i 13s. 9d. per week. For six children add .£3 3s— £5 4s. 3d. per week. AN ALTERNATIVE PENSION. An alternative rate to bo provided to enable n soldier to claim pre-war earn, ings or a portion thereof. Soldier whoso i pre-war earnings did not exceed 15s,

to bo able to claim full pro-war earnings) those who exceeded £3 15s. to be ablo to claim £3 Jsd. and half the balance up to a pension receipt of £5 12s. Ud. EXAMPLES UNDER ALTERNATIVE SCHEME. A eoldier pre-war earnings were £3 15s. will receive £3 las. A soldier whose pre-war earnings wero £i will receive £3 17s. Gd. A soldier whoso pre-war earnings were M 10s. will receive £i 2s. Gd. A soldier whose pre-war earnings wero £b will receive M 7s. Gd. A soldier whose'pre-war earnings were J!5 10s. will receive XI 12s. Gd. A eoldier whose pre-war earnings wero £S will receive M 17s. Gd. A soldier whose pre-war earnings were .-EG 10s. will receive £o 2s. Gd. A soldier whoso pre-war earnings were £7 will receive £o 7s. 6d. A soldier whose pre-war earnings wero £7 10s. will- receive £a 125., Gd. A soldier whose pre-war earnings wero over £7 10s. will receive £5 12s. 6d.