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Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1932, Page 4

In the amending act brought down in the House in connection with pension law tile principal alterations •seek to modify the provisions of the National Expenditure Adjustment Act of last session, which terminated payment of mineu’ widows’ pensions granted prior to the passage of that legislation. The object is to enable an allown ne'e to he continued to any miner’s widow whose circumstances are such that she would be entitled to an old age pension hut for the re* quirements respecting age and length of residence in New Zen find. The miner’s widow’s pension is to be continued only so long ns the pensioner retains her widowhood and is disqualified from receiving the old age pension, and the amount payable is to he computed on the same basis as am old age pension for a woman aged isixty. Women affected will be entitled to a pension at the rate of £So 19s a year, diminished e.s if it wer e an old age pension. Another section proposes to modify the requirement of five years’ continuous residence in Now Zealand prior to application for a. pension by a miner mca'piacitatLd by miners’ phthisis, by permitting occasional absences not exceeding six 'months in the aggregate. The existing law, which has remained unaltered since the original Act was passed in 1915 does not 'allow a pension to be granted! where there has been absence, however short, during the five-yearly period. A further modification proposed relates fo pensions for the blind. The object is to put an applicant or a pensioner '.absent from New Zealand for medical treatment in respect of his eyes in the same favourable, position as one whose absence is : for purposes of vocational training. Absence from the Dominion in the case of a new applicant for pension during * ten years preceding the date of application will he disregardedl in determining eligibility where such absence has been for the purpose of receiving medical treatment. In addition it will he possible to pay a pension outside New Zealand for any period up to two years while tlic pensioner is absent from the Dominion undergoing medical treatment.