DELAYED EFFECTS OF WAR.

Shannon News, 11 June 1929, Page 4

DELAYED EFFECTS OF WAR.

RETURNED SOLDIERS AND THE OLD AGE PENSION.

PROPOSAL THAT QUALIFYING

AGE BE 55,

A suggestion by the President of the Levin branch of the R.S.A., Mr G. D. Hamilton, that the qualifying age for the old age pension -should be lowered in the case of, returned soldiers, was discussed by the annual meeting of the branch on Wednesday nigln, and was put into the form of a remit for the next annual conference of the R.S.A.

Mr Hamilton, in bringing the matter forward, said that a time was being reached when a good many'of the returned soldiers were beginning to fail in health. The common experience of the soldiers when at the War was generally realised; they had not only to bear the stress and strain of active service, but of extraordinary physical conditions under which they had to live during the war period. For at least live months of the year those who served in France never knew what it was to feel dry while they were in the conditions during several years, .it must toll on their physical state as they .grew older. The time was coining rapidly when a good many of these men would be prematurely old. He thought it would be a very good idea if the executive of the R.S.A. were to consider a movement for amending the Old Age Pensions Act, so that any returned soldier who would qualify in the ordinary course for an old age pension would be able to receive it some years earlier than he could under the existing law, which-so far made no discrimination between soldiers and civilians. The qualifying age was 05 in the case of the average man -who had resided in New Zealand for 25 years, and he thought that- returned soldier applicants should be eligible at 55. If the general executive only made a request that the age be reduced to 00, it would be a step in the right direction. The President then moved that the branch executive frame a resolution in favour of pensions at 55 for returned soldiers, such resolution to be submitted to the general executive to be discussed at the next annual meeting of the R.S.A.

Dr. Hunter seconded the motion. He stated that, during the last two or three years, many cases had been brought to his notice of men who had suffered from premature senility. due to the stress and the' wear and tea;' of war and to the amount of work they did during the war period. The motion was certainly a step in the right direction. He thought that, if such a measure were discussed in Parliament, it would open up an avenue for men with impaired faculties to receive, later on, military pensions, even though they were not showing incapacity at the time when they left the service. The speaker also ihought that the residential qualification should be eased for return soldier applicants, because many returned men were net New Zea-land-born.

Mr A. Hi rule said lie was very pleased to see that the question had been tackled. The minds of many returned soldiers had been troubled by the problem of how to do something for those of their comrades who were now beginning to feel the effects of the War. The remit should go forward as a very strong recommendation. It was unanimously resolved that the general executive be asked to consider the question of old age pensions and endeavour to have the Act amended so that the age of a returned soldier Who could qualify for the pension be reduced to 55 and so that the residential restriction be modified in the case of returned soldiers.