SOLDIERS' PENSIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10603, 31 May 1920, Page 6

SOLDIERS ' PENSIONS

“I HOPE YOU WON’T FORGET THE WIDOWS.”

REMARKS BY GENERAL RICHARDSON.

Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson, General Officer in Charge of Administration, made som© important remarks with regard to pensions, af the meeting of limbless ex-soldiers at the Returned Soldiers' Association clubhouse.

“The Xew Zealand pensions scale, in my opinion,” said the General, ‘‘is insufficient. for the totally disabled man to live in comfort. AU who have studied the question must realise this. Furthermore, that there arc many widows who are finding it very difficult to live. I notice the It.S.A. intend to represent to the Government that the pensions of widows are inadequate 1 hope they won’t forget tho widows. But there is one thing certain: that not only the people of this country, but Parliament are sympathetic. 1 have spoken to Ministers and M.P.’s on tho matter, I and find they all want to do justice to the disabled soldiers; but pensions “s a highly technical subject; and if I were a Minister I should want tho very best technical advice on tho subject of proposed alteration to existing schedule. What is needed is a scheme which is elastic, which enables tho Pensions Department to deal with many matters not provided in the present Act. The Pensions Department now administers the Act as it stands, and do so sympathetically to the soldier ; but they cannot make payments not authorised by that Act. There are many cases of hardship constantly arising, and will continue to arise. These, if not provided for by pensions, should without any suggestion of charity bo helped by the war funds. Tho existing war fund organisations should in my opinion bo administered under some uniiorm scheme—the British Parliament found it necessary to set up a central committee to co-ordinate tho various organisations in England—and I think ultimately tho same must be done hero. Tho solution of tho difficulty is to set up a committee of experts to investigate and report on the wholel question and advise the Government.” (Hear, hear.) •