BALKANS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1917, Page 5

BALKANS

THE CASSERS CASScu. ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED. Received Sept. 20, 9.40 p.m. London, Sept. 20. Roumanian official: On September 23 the enemy made two ga' ;iiid violent artillery attacks on the heights north of Somka, but the wind drove the gas back on to the enemy. Roumanian infantry repulsed two attacks on Die Milliner sector. The station at Galatz was bombarded on September il, but no damage resulted. THE NEW PENSIONS BILL DETAILS OF PROVISIONS. AMENDED SCALE OF PAYMENTS. By Wire.—Our Parliamentary Reporter Wellington, Last Night. The War Pensions Bill introduced in the House of Representatives i« :o come into operation on January 1 next. It contains many clauses dealing with details. Its essential features are presented in the schedules which show he increases that the Government proposes to make in the war pensions. The inoieases are not large ill any case. The wi'losv of 0. private is to receive 30s a weoK if without a child, and 40s a week if with a child or children. The rate tur each child is 7s (id weekly as before. Tlift scales rise to 3'2s and 42s for th' 3 widow of a sergeant, 4.3s and 55s for the widow of n second-lieutenant, 50s and liOs for the widow of a captain, and so on. .the rate for the child does not vary,

~ The rates in the case of disablement are for the private 10s per wee», "'ith 20s for the wife and 7s (id for the child. The rate remains unaltered for all noncommissioned ranks, and rises slowly in the commissioned ranks, the second-lieu-tenant receiving 42s 6d, with 21s lor Ihe wife and 7s fid for the child. 'lhc rayinents in the case of disablement arc to be assessed'on the basis of a schedule, which specifies injuries, and fixes the percentage of disablement they entail—the loss of two limbs, the loss of a limb and eve, the loss of both hands, ihc loss of all the fingers and thumbs, tan loss of both feet, the loss of a hand ,uid foot, the loss of sight, total paralysis, lunacy, permanently bedridden, wound* or injuries to the head or other organ im olving total permanent disabling effect, advanced incurable disease and very serious facial disfigurement constitute out hundred per cent, disablements, and the scale slides down t.o twenty per cent for the losa of the index finger of eithe> hand.

The bill provides that if the Pensions Board is satisfied that J'.e pension allowable to a. disabled man and his dependents is not sufficient to enable the man to maintain himself and his dependent* in accordance with the standard of comfort to which- they were accustomed before the war, the board may increase the rate of pension by an amount not exceeding £1 per week, but the total payment under all headings must not exceed £5 per 'week. There is it corresponding provision in the cas a of the widow, but the increase in her ease is limited to ten shillings per week, and the total pension for herself and her cntkuen must not exceed £3 per week. The lowance payable for an attendant, when required, in cases of disablement, is increased from 10s to £1 weekly. Provision is made for the granting of temporary pensions in eases where disablement has not reached its final condition.

When a permanent- pension has been granted it is not to be reduc.-d afterwards on account of any increase in the earning power of the pensioned The pension granted to a widowed Mother, who was partially dependent, shall not be less than one-half of the amount that would have been payable if she hud been completely dependent. The bill provides that the Imperial pensions payable to bona fide residents of New Zealand who hnve served in the Imperial forces, and to their deit>.nck;i , .ls. mav be supplemented in order to bring them up to the New Zealand rates. The definition of "dependents" is extended to include a woman who becomes by marriage in New Zealand the. wife oi a member of the forces after, and within two years of the date of, his discharge If slie becomes a widow she ceases to he a dependent, but may be paid a gratuity of twice the annual value of her pension. 'Pensions are to be payable in respect of soldiers who have died or suffered disablement elsewhere than on active service, provided that the death or disablement is attributable to employment as a member of the fores, or to a condition which has been aggravated by sur.h employment. There is a proviso, however, that the board may grant pensions in other cases if it is satisfied trial the death or disablement was not due to the serious negligence or misconduct of the men themselves.