OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 17 July 1901, Page 3

OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME.

1,300 Pensioners on the Coast.

[OUE OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, This Day.

The annual report on Old Age Pensions contains some rather interesting particulars as to the distribution of pensions in the various districts of the Colony.

Taking first the four chief centres, we find that in the Auckland Pension District there are 1,315 holders of certificates, in Wellington 4,961, in Christchurch 1,215, and Dunedin 929, differences for which, it is rather difficult to account.

The West Coast of the South Island, as I in former years, again shows a large number of-pensioners in proportion to population. Hokitika holds the record with 484, Greymouth being a good second with 457, while Weatport lags behind with 261, and Beefton has only 139. Of the other places in the colony, Invercargill has 540 pensioners; Lawerence 206; Napier 243; New Plymouth 230; Oamaru 239; Timaru 144; Onehunga 281; Palmerston North 159; Thames 266 ; Wanganui 196; Gisborne 96; Masterton 81; and Otaki 63. Of the 12,405 Old Age pensions in force on the 31st March last 10,356 were for the full amount of £18; 267 for £l7; 262 for £l6 ; 261 for £ls ; 193 fcr £l4; 188 for £l3 ; 215 for £l2 ; 111 for £11; 120 for £10; 74 for £9; 97 for £8; 70 for £7: 56 for £6; 49 for £5 ;33 for £4 ;22 for £3; 22 for £2 ; and 9 for £l.