HIGHER PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 189, 6 May 1920, Page 4

HIGHER PENSIONS

DEMANDED BY R.S.A,

INCREASE FROM £2 TO £3 10s

PER WEEK

The question of demanding a substantial increase in war pensions in consequence of the increased cost of living was discussod at the . meeting of the executive of tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association on Tuesday.

A letter was read from the Minister of Defence, 6tating, in reply to tho resolution of conference, urging the establishment of plus percentages for disablement pensions, that effect could bo given to the proposal only by an amendment of the law, and upon this question tho Government had not yet come to a conclusion. '

The chairman (Dr. E. Boxer) said the country would have to consider the whole question of asking a man sufferin? from total disability to live on £2 a week. Hitherto the Ponsions Board had adopted the praotice of over-assess-ing disabilities, but now that the great majority of theso cases had reached normality they would have to be reviewed, and lower pensions would be granted in consequence. That meant that tho annual war pensions bill must fall considerably soon.' No doubt many of the nioh : would "buck." The more ho thought of the plus) percentage proposals tho less he liked it as being too ticklish. Ho thought' it would be better to work for a 50 per cent, rise in war pensions nil round by increasing the presenit maximum disability rate from ,£2 to ,£3 per week.

Mr. W. 13. Leadley (Christchurch} agreed. He thought it was a mistake to go for plus percentages; they should go for iin all-round increase on account of the cost of living. Ho moved:—

"That headquarters ljo instructed to open up negotiations with the Government, with a view to increasing the present maximum pension of ,£2 to ,£3 10s. per week, imd that subsidiary pensions bo increased pro rata." The motion was carried unanimously. The chairman commented that' this was the best thing they had done. Tho whole question was whether a man totally disabled 6hould be' asked to live on .C 2 a week. Ho could not do it. Mr. B. J. F. Aldrich: "They force him to work, and crack him up."