The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1916. WAR PENSIONS ACT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 35, 16 May 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1916. WAR PENSIONS ACT.

The necessity for amending and making more liberal the provisions ot the War Pensions Act has appealed to the Government and the measure now submitted goes a long way further than the legislation of last year. A ery properly the provisions of the principal Act are extended to members of the Expeditionary Force prior to their departure from New Zealand, and also to persons engaged in New Zealand on military service in connection with the war. This point was especially emphasised in the manifesto winch was issued by the War League some few weeks ago, and should meet with general approval. It is also provided that the parents of deceased soldiers receive more liberal treatment by having all age limitations omitted (the principal Ace provided for mothers bein<r o vcr fifty years and fathers over 55°years before being entitled to pensions), and this provision is extended to parents of disabled as well as o! deceased soldiers, it is also provided that the pension of a widowed mother whose son was her sole support shall not in any case he less than wiila have been payable to a into. Ibis clause will cover such cases as that ol Mrs Dewar. to which strong attention was decently drawn by the Taranaki Rugby Union. The clause setting a maximum to the pensions that may be'drawn is abolished altogether. A new principle for the computation oi pensions provides that the pension payable to n member ol the lorces 01 to'the wife or child of such, member ghall not take into consideration the pimpertv or income Iron, any source of the applicant. In the case of dependents other than wives or children the property and income shall be taken into consideration. The definition oi dependent in the original Act is widened to provide thai the board may grant a pension to a person who satisfies the board that, by reason of a soldiers death or disablement, mater,,! loss oi, income or property is suffered by such, person As amended, if adm-mstered with discretion, the Act should now I b c vorv much more sntisfacory than| in Its original stat«. The government had a big task in framing «n cqu.taole mensnro. hut on the whole, it has been well carried out. j