BLIND SOLDIERS’ PENSIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1929, Page 2

BLIND SOLDIERS’ PENSIONS

MINISTER’S SUGGESTION. WELLINGTON, Sept, 3. “We should remove from the Statute Book the blot which is there concerning (the '.blind soldier/’ declared the Minister in charge of the War Pensions Department the Hon. T. M. Wilford, in the House tonight. He went on to explain the difficulties which will confront the Government in seeking to alter the existing law in relation to blind exservice men. lit would be simple enough to introduce legislation, but the moment a Bill entitled “Pensions Amendment” was brought down on the floor of the House the Minister in charge would be bombarded immediately by mentbers on all sides of the House with every sort of suggestion regarding alterations in the pensions system. Of course no amendment involving an . appropriation could be accepted, but there would be difficulties in getting a small amendment of one clause through the House,; as previous one-clause amendments had demonstrated. The present regrettable position was that blind soldiers with children found the pen sion in respect of family cut off if •they were in receipt of even a smal sum. There was one case in Dunedin where a blind soldier received the equivalent of £62 from an investment made on his family’s behalf hv public subscription. That debarred his children from receiving anything. Mr Wilford said lie had before him an amendment which he had dralted It provided that the War PensionBoard in determining the rate of pension pa.vahlo to any child of member of the forces in receipt of a pension .payable for total blindness should not take into consideration the property or income from any source of the pensioner, his wile or children. That amendment, ho said, should cover the whole thing.