WAR PENSIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 65, 16 November 1915, Page 8

WAR PENSIONS.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. Per Pbebs Association. Wellington, November 15. Referring to statements .published regarding the payment of war pensions, Hon. A. M. Myers says:— "Sum© statements have been made to the effect that pensions should be granted regardless of any consideration. The fundamental principles of the Act, as decided by Parliament, are, as far as the soldier is concerned, that bis pension is awarded with due regard to the extent of his disablement, which must have arisen out of bis employment as a soldier; and as far a s the dependent of any .soldier is concerned, that his or her circumstances must lie taken into account, so that it may be decided to what extent assistance from the State shall be rendered. As far as the returned soldier is concerned, he is asked to fill in a form on a single .sheet, containing practically only two leading questions, namely, to what extent he is disabled, and, if requiring personal attendant, has he means to pay such attendants Property or income has no bearing whatever on his claim for pension, except that the simple question, 'What, are your average earningsr" is asked to help in determining: the extent of his disability. No soldier disabled by wounds ha s been refused a. .pension. Pensions, However, have been refused hi cases "hero soldiers nave been stricken by illness, and who by the time they have returned to the Dominion have completely recovered, in some cases pensions have ueen refused and the applicant has immediately enlisted for the next reinforcement. Complaints have been made that wounded soldiery do not get the full benelit 0 C the scale provided, and that their circumstances and thoso of their relatives affect the claim, in no case do the applicant's circumstances, or anyone else's, have any bearing whatever on his claim, and he gets the full benefit of the scale to the extent of his disablement. .Several .soldiers who have lost au eye have been awarded a pension ol £1 per week. Another soldier with an amputated leg has 30 s per week, but there arc many cases where soldiers who nave been ill and have since recovered nave not been considered as cases for the pension roll. A common error made is that any persoiyfwho has been receiving an allotment of pay from a deceased soldier is entitled to a pension. The Act does not so .provide; in fact, it is laid down that a dependent of au applicant must have been assisted during the twelve months preceding the date of the soldier's enlistment, except in th© case of parents well up in years, who hav© a claim outside of dependency. Th© greatest exception seems to be taken to requiring tho widow of a decoased soldier to state her affairs. By a recent amendment of the Australian Act the wif© and children there are granted pensions regardless of income or property, wliil© it is the position in New 'Zealand that the circumsances of the wife have to be taken into account. Cases ar© rare where tho amount granted is below the maximum provided in Australia, which ranges from £52 for the wife of a private to £l5O for the wife of a general; or 5s a week, less in each case than the maximum rates payable in New Zealand."