COMMONWEALTH PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3188, 12 September 1917, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH PENSIONS

NEARLY .£6,000,000 A Y'EAIt. Tho liability of the Commonwealth in tho matter of pensions is growing with alarming rapidity (states ail Australian contemporary)., According *to returns that wero made available a few days ago by tho Federal Treasurer (Sir John Forrest), tho liability is already very littlo short of £6,u00,000, .and at tho present rate of increase it promises to exceed that sum by a .largo amount before tho end of the financial year. The war pensions dlone now ■ involve a liability ox £1,933,798, and this sum is growing at the rate of more than £100,001 la month. In July the increase was .£138,000, and last month it was ',£156,305. At this rate the war pensions will amount to moro than .£3,000,000 by the end of the financial year. The following , .taM® shows tho war pensions in force in tho various States on August 31: Pensions Annual Stato. granted, liability, Now South Wales ... 17,251 £655,706 Victoria 19,782 652,673 Queensland 5,576 202,326 South Australia 5,821 185,175,. Western Australia... 4,855 356,02!) Tasmania 2,411 81,889 Totals 05,G9G £1,933,798 Other pensions are also growing steadily. Last year the old age aud invalid pensions amounted to £3,452,819. This year Sir John Forrest estimates that tlioy will advance to £3,530,000. This increase is, of course, abnormal, but a slight increase is nevertheless registered every year. Tlioro are now 94,1CG persons in receipt of old-age pensions in tho Commonwealth, and 673 others claims are bein» c»nsidere<l. The i*;* ul pensions in forco total 27»400. a-id 491 claims arc under consideration. the pensions bill is steadily merging, tho maternity allowance claims continue to draw upon the revenue to ths oxtent of more than £600,000 a year. Last voar the amount disbursed m thaw allowances wo/j £662,0?5.