HOSPITAL PENSIONERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 177, 13 August 1937, Page 12

HOSPITAL PENSIONERS

i Out Own Correspondent.)

Provision of Poclcet Money

OTi'oie

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Gratifieation was exprcssed to-night-jby the Minister of Pensions (Hon. W. |E. Parry) at payments from pensions receivcd by the authorities controlling publie homes and hospitals to inmate-: pensioners of the different institutions.. The Minister said some pensioners in hospitals had written pointing out. they] liked to have a few skillings now and; ;again to meet obligations they had out-; side the institution which maintained;" ithem and the payments now made from'j ■Iheir pensions which the authorities) coilected were welcomed and appreciat-j ed. ; "I find from information now be-forei ime," Mr. Parry stated, "that the con-i jtrolling bodies of all but five hospitals; ;and homes of tho Bominion are making. ipayment to these pensioners. One can. Iwell imagine how welcome that payjment is to the pensioner who loves to; jfeel once again a few shilljngs in hisipoeket. I think tho management of •hospitals merit full praise for their, :aetion. It certainly rcceives it' from the pensioners in the institutions. " The Minister said hospitals not mak-, jing payment supplied clothing and toIbacco. He hoped all would see the teasonableness and magnanimity of •makiug some grant to the inmate penkioner. "The Government sees that the Maorj gets equal treatnient with the pakeha in all its social legislation, " sajd the .Minister in replying to a dep&tation. "I noticed a statoment printed in the south that Maoris were not being treated as fairly as their Europoan brethren — ^that pakehas unlike Maoris roceived1 a pension at 65 for males and 60 for fe- ' •males. That provision of our law' applies, of course, equally to Maoris. It was a misleading statement to mako and it was a pity the • speaker before making the referenee had not taken the trouble of looldng up the Aet. There was no difCerentiation between European aud Ma,ori.