WAR PENSIONS BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1915, Page 4

WAR PENSIONS BILL.

I'IKU.'NSKD IN" the HOUSK. % Tclograph.-Presa Association. if ten , "/.'""p 0 ,{,, P™«'»i»«» e i? this m "'<'/',""', Minister brought np the report of the Secret Defence Ummittee, which recommended tha tf e Wnr l'«s S Ri|| l, e allowcd t0 £«? ™th such amendments an were made ?« Haus,, and the second schedule. The ~r,I" -, . 1m l ''"'""'lment was that of" leasing the pension fhr disablement for'a ela,"" l<,ti,, n ™ mum

Mi. ,1. A lfanan said that he person. ally regretted the committee hid Zt seen its way to K ivc disabled men £ 2 a7('-Mn!j.', Wl ' W,V ' not giv '" g a 8 mud » Hon. A. T. Ngata asked the House to see that widows of Maori soldiers were not disqualified from receivinu pensions because they had been married under the. native custom. Messrs F„ M. Isitt, J. McCombs, jl Poland T. M. Wilford, W. T. Jennings, A. hj, Glover, and W. Veitch all urged more generous treatment of the pensions question. In the evening, after Mr. A. TO. Glover had advocated that the Bill be referred back to the Committee for more favorable consideration, Hon. Jns. Allen said that the increase mßdc by the Committee would amount to between £200,000 and .€250,000 per year. Every totally dirtabled and every partially disabled mm would have his pension increased ten shillings per week. Tt might be that in the course of two years the dominion would have to meet one million pounds per year for pensions. He eotild «*fc institute a scheme which would stand the test of time. Members must remember that money had to be found for the future development of the country, in Canada the pension proposed was £!9 for married men, and £52 for single men; in Britain it was £OS for "both married and single. In Kew Zealand a man and wife would receivo £123 I.)*, which compared very favorably with other countries. He favored trusting the Board, which he believed would be sympathetic.

Mr. .r. T. M. Hornsbv moved as mi amendment that the Hill be referred buck to the Committee for further con- * sideration, on the ground that the proposed pension wnR inadequate anil insufficient in the circumstances. The amendment was ruled out cf order, as it is not competent to move that a Governor's message be referred back. Mr. ('.. Witty said he was disappointed that the Committee had not recommended a minimum of £2 per week for total disablement. • Mr. It. Fletcher said he would like to see a pension of 50s per week. Mr. I?. Wright supported the schedule as amended by the Committee; the pension could be increased later on if considered necessary. Mr. A. M. Myers nrccd that the proposals of the Committee went as far us prudence suggested. Hon. A. 1,. Herdman argued that history showed that there was always a falling-off in trade after a war, and if New Zealand had to face financial dislocation later on the men who now advocated a heavy pension liability wou!d be ready to blame the Government for giving further than was wise. The debate was continued by Dr. Thacker. Messrs Walker. Field (Nelson*, Brown, Wilkinson, KII, Parr, Hindmawn, Pavne, and Talbot.

Sir ■). G. Ward defended the report of the Committee, which had been arrived at as a result of minute investigation of intricate matters. He declined to bo forced by anyone, from consideration of the seriousness of his own responsibility. The men on the Committee were just r.s inclined to go as far as anyone else hi the sum of the pension. After Mr. Tsitt had spoken in favor of an increase in the pension, Mr. Massey said that all members of the Secret Committee were just as anxious to do fall justice to the soldiers as anyone else in that House. It was quite impossible to say when the war would end, and what the pensions would cost. The fear was that if a depression came after the war tho burden of the pension might be more than tho people could carry. i Dr. McXab said he was still of opinion that it was desirable to postpone the final settlement until it was definitely known what amount would have to be provided when the full pressure was exerted on behalf of all the wounded in the war. No Government could hope to live if they refused to do full justice. The debate was closed to consider the schedule, and the. Bill was passed with amendments made by the Minister. The House went into cqmmittee at 1.30 a.m.

(Left sitting.) ■ ;'ji OVER £1,000,000 ANNUALLY " ?! By Telegraph—Special to News. ! Wellington, Last Night. In the House of Representatives the Defence Minister said that the Defence Department had based its calculations in regard to pensions on an estimate of twelve per cent, of casualties, involving disablement, total and partial, in a force of 00.000 men. "New Zealand will have sent away 50,000 men by June next," said the Minister," and I think the war will very likely continue beyond that date. The action of the DefenceCommittee in increasing the rate for total disablement from £1 5s to £1 15s a week means an additional annual charge of between £200,000 and £253,000. H is my business, as Minister of Defence, even nt a time like this, to < look ahead and see what our responsibilities are. We are developing this country with borrowed money, every year the charge for interest and sinking fund will increase, and the demands for the development of the country will grow." Dr. Thacker: Whore would we be if I the Germans beat us? Mr. Allen: They are not going to beat us. I have already told the House that upon the estimate of the Imperial actuaries the pension charge for a war •>&- tending ,over a period of two years would amount to .£(100,000 annually, on the original scale provided in this Bill. The Committee has now added n sum of £200.000 or £250,000 to that total, so that the dominion will be required to pay over a million pounds annually far war pensions. In a few years I believe the country will he ready to provide that money, but the people who am asking for still more money shouhl realise that Parliament shares the responsibility of the Government in this matter. What will happen if wc pub upon the .Statute Book, in a hyserisal way, a measure which will not stand the test of time? Might not a future Parliament repudiate a contract that was found to be unbearable from the point of view of the State? The Minister was followed by several members, who urged that the'duty of Parliament was to provide the soldiers with pensions on a just scale, and then set about arranging the national finance accordingly, >