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WIDOWS PENSIONS

A PLEA WR THli CIVILIAN'S-, , WIDOW, "Tn my capacity aa secretary of the Lynll flay Epidemic Committee, and also of the Wellington Soft Goods Employees' Union," writes Mr. A. W. Cioskery, "I have been brought in touch with many cases in which widows have been thrown on the mercy of charity during Mil , recent I desire to point out that there is no pension scheme at the present time for widows. By. this I mean that no pension is payable to a widow. A widow with children certainly does receive a miserable pittance, the'only exception is the widow of a soldier, and she does receive a pension under the widows' pensions for' soldiers' wives. There is a Pension Act for children, allowing the magnificent, sum of JM2 per annum for tho first child, and £G pw'annum, for the second, third, and fourth child, rind this cnrries with it at the present lime a war bonus.'lt is a generally recognised principle that a 'nation's greatest asset' is its children, and it is along these lines which I desire to draw public attention to the aniMnalies and injustices' which exist, for I feel sure such -.1 country as ours will never rest contented until such injustices'have been' remedied. . Let u< toko our Pension Act of 1913. It provides:— Ist child—.£l2 per annum, or approximately i*. 71d. per week. 2nd child— ifl per annum, or approximately I*. 3Jd. per week. , 3rd'child-Do. 4th. child—Dn. "Contrast the above pensions with, the position of claims for maintenance in our Courts. In nearly every case brought, before tho Court the order of tire Magistrate is invariably 10s. per week, and'l desiro to point out that it was chiefly on this account that our legislators increased the pensions payable to tho children of our soldiers from 7s. Cd. per .week to 10s. per week. As I stated previously a nation's greatest asset is its children, and while they have a mother to caro for them I claim that it is the duty of the, State to provide her with a i pension which will enable liar to do so. I want to point out the differential treatment provided for in the case of the widow of a soldier as against that of tho wid'ow of a civilian, and in this connection I want to say that readers must not think for a moment that I am objecting to the pension granted to the widows and children of our soldiers, for as a member of the Second Division League my efforts have «t all times' been to secure for the widows and children the very best treatment possible. The pension to the widow of a soldier (private) without children ie 30s. per week. The pension to the widow of a soldier (private) with children is 40s. per' week, We, therefore, see that Parliament has established the principle that widows are entitled to a pension. What for? to play with, but in order to allow them to live niM'bring up their families in comfort and decency, and if this ha 3 been found necessary in the case of -.the widSMV of a soldier—why not for the widow of a civilian? Surely it cannot be reasonable argued that tho widow of a soldier is entitled to preferential treatment over the widow of a civilian? Let us take the case of the widow of a soldier and a civilian with two children, and it must be apparent to any fairminded person that the obligation of the widow of the civilian.to support herself and her children in comfort/and decency is as .great as that of tlie widow of a soldier. This is tiho position the law, and as it stands at-the present. Per week. i £e.i.

Soldier's widow 2 0 0 Two children,. 10s. per'week each 10 0 ... Total pension 3 0 0 Per week ,-,. ~. , ~ (appro*.). Civilian e widow Nothing First child .„ is. ?sd". Second child 2s. 3Jd. Total pension Gs. lid. "It was quite recently stated by one of tho Ministers that it was the.opinion of the 'Government that it would bo much better for the sake of the children that they should bo accommodated in private homes, so that they could receive some of the comforts "of a homo. It is impossible under present circumstances for a widow to care properly for her children under the miserable pension which is provided, and surely no one would say that the mother of children is not tho most suitable person to look after her own children. It has also been stated that it is the intention of the Government lo provide a certain weekly allowance to widowers in order that they may engage assistance to look after their children, but there is no mention about the widow, and surely it must; be conceded that her responsibilities are as great if not greater than that of the w.idower. I feel suro that tho question of providing a pension for widows which wilj enable them to bring up their families in comfort and decencv will receive the support of every liberalminded person in (no community." [llr. Croskery has overlooked the fact that in 1917 the allowances for children under the Widows Pension Act of 1015 wero incrcnsoil by JX a year in all cases.]

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190212.2.81

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 10

Word count
Tapeke kupu
881

WIDOWS PENSIONS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 10

WIDOWS PENSIONS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 10

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