WAR PENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 281, 6 May 1915, Page 3

WAR PENSIONS.

TO BE REMODELLED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER FOR I DEFENCE. Cliristchurch, May 3. ] Tlie ,Hon. J>;Allen, Minister for De- I fence, passed ."through Cliristchurch! this evening on his way from Dunedin ' to Wellington. Interviewed, Mr. Allen said that ho did not think the coming session of Parliament would be a very long one. j In the summer months of Europe the war would he waged furiously, and with casualty lists of New Zealand forces possibly coming in regularly there would, he thought, he very little heart in the country for the discussion of local politics on familiav lines. There were certain things that Parliament must do ) but beyond these he 1 did not know that anything much would he attempted. The main tilings he had in mind were the- war loan, war tax, revision of pensions, and regular financial measures. Questioned ■ about the pensions scheme for widowh and dependents of soldiers, Mr. Allen said that he hod all along thought it was not good enough, and lie personally thought it should be liberalised. In -every spare moment he had been working upon it to that end, and he woukl have an amending measure to submit 'to the House. Asked if the allowance which the soldier had le'ft to his wife or nearest dependent ceased immediately upon the soldier's death, the Minister replied that, of course, a man's pay ceased, and automatically the allowance should cease also. The practice, however, had not been formalised as yet, because the scheme could not immediately be put in perfect ordeT. In one or two cases the Department had continued the allowance made to dependents, and it was prepared to continue it up to twenty-six weeks in order to allow soldiers' pensions to be drawn upon. This pension was provided in the/Defence Act of 100!).

On its being pointed out that this provided 'a pension of £3O, and that tho Widows' Pensions Act provided a pension of '£34 l, the Minister said ho did not think one person would be allowed to draw two pensions. Parliament in the coming session would, however, go fully iirto the whole matter and put the pensions scheme ppon a basis in conformity "with the experience of the Old Land.

On the question of facilitating the medical 'examination of Teeruits by allowing "ordinary doctors to pass men at other than the regular weekly examination, the Minister said that there was no necessity for this. There was no reason. Tf recruits would only obey instructions, why any delay or loss of work should bo occasioned. On a man registering himself he had nothing more to do till the department advised him of the day for examination by tho doctor. Xo recruit should leave work when he liad merely registc'-ed his name. Once he bad registered and the department had'his name his case was in their hands, anil all the recruit had to do was to obey mst-ructions. For this reason, therefore, there was no occasion for the services of general practitioners to be utilised.

The Minister said he was glad to hear of the assistance being rendered to recruiting bv the Citizens' Defence Corps of Christchurcli. 'The department was grateful for sill such assistance, and would help as far as it could. There was no rea«ou why all the big centres should not follow cut this course. Colonel Porter Irnil suggested that the National Reserve or Citizens' Defence Corns in each of the big centres sliould be asked to supply -fIOO men from their own ranks.

"I don't say this can be done," said Mi'. Allen, "but. of course, if it could we would be glad to have fliem."

"Will vm extend the ago-'limit to itfllow that?"

"Xo, not at present," Mr. Allen srtid.