MAORI PENSIONS BASIS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 921, 14 March 1930, Page 1

MAORI PENSIONS BASIS

AMENDING LEGISLATION PROBABLE REMOVAL OF ANOMALIES It is proposed, at next session of Parliament, to introduce legislation to amend the Pensions Act in an effort to remove anomalies in the payments to European and Maori old-age pensioners. This has been a question urged by the Akarana Maori Association for several years. Satisfaction was expressed by the association at its meeting last evening, when the Minis -er of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana T. Ngata, wrote saying the Native and the Health Departments were considering possible amendments which would be raised for review at next session. Under the existing conditions, the association has frequently represented to the Government, many hundreds of aged natives have received smaller pensions than those they would be entitled to receive under the same conditions as Europeans. In many instances, erroneous computations based on land interests, which were by no means what they appeared to be on the surface, had been made. The purchasing power of the natives was affected and they had to secure the necessities of life just as Europeans were required to do. The association now hopes the legislation suggested will afford sufficient relief.