New Zealand

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 194, 25 January 1915, Page 5

New Zealand

SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. A SCHEME UNDER CONSIDERATION. / MORE LIBERAL THAN AUSTRALIA'S SOMiE. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. In conversation with a Daily Times reporter on Saturday morning, Hon. J. Allen stated that the whole question of pension allowances to New Zealand soldiers who might be wounded a't the war, or to the wives and families or those who might be killed, was under consideration at the present time. Mr. Allen remarked that he had only recently received a copy of the Commonwealth Act relating to soldiers' allowances, etc., and proceeded to make a cursory comparison of its provisions with those contained in the existing New Zealand Soldiers' Pensions Act. He said that, so far as he could make out, the Commonwealth Act only made provision for the present war. "I think," concluded Mr. Allen, "that their schedule of payments appears higher than ours in some cases, but their schedule is the maximum, and the assessment of the amount of a pension is a matter for the Pension Board to decide. Their Act does not provide, as ours does, for payment to the widow of an ollicer, non-commissioned officer, or private of one year's pay in addition to her pension, with an amount equal to one-third of the gratuity to each of the children under age. In Australia the life of a child is defined for the purposes of the Act as under Hi, both for a sou or a daughter, whereas ihc New Zi aland Act provides that a pension may be continued to sons until they attain tin- aire of IS, and to daughter- until their •■!'-:.■ birthday. Hon. Allen concluded his stalem-nt on th" mil- (ion bv reiterating his pro- | nonio'-""-;i(. (hat he had been wiiey i carefully into the matter of New Zei>.i land soldiers' allowunees. etc., adding j that he would probably make -ouie ve- ; eo,,u"e.jd:'ta>n to his colleagues on the I subject.