The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1917. PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1917. PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES.

The Bill ■brought down by Cabinet .and fully discussed at the secret session of Parliament last week is an honest attempt to deal fairly by the dependents of married and other soldiers already at the front and the Second Division reservists to be called up shortly. The principles of the British pensions scheme have to a large extent been adopted, a result due probably to the representations of the Second Division League, which has consistently stood for the adoption of the just and 'humanising British measure. The Bill .provides for pensions in case of disablement, total or partial, by schedule, and by right in respect of the soldier and by the Pensions Board in respect of dependents. The Bill also, provides an additional, or alternative pension, where the amount payable under the scale is insufficient to enable tho injured soldier to maintain himself and his dependents in accordance with their previous standard of living. The same provision applies, in the case of death of the soldier, to a widow with or \vitl...:t a family, and is designed, as in England, to maintain the home life, and, as far as possible, the standard of comfort to which Jie family was accustomed. These provisions are a great advance upon the system in force, which, of course, was meant to apply to soldiers without dependents, but which in many instances has operated very unfairly and harshly. Whilst on the whole the principles of the Bill aro satisfactory, the. details are capable of considerable improvement. In this connection, the Defence Minister has ; romised to go a long way to meet tho, proposals put before him by the Second Division League and members of Parliament, and doubtless when the Bill emerges from tlie committee stage it will be a much improved one. The stumbling .block is the imostion of allowances to wives during service of the soldier,;. The Government proposes 3s a day for a wife and Is for each child. It argues that a soldier should be able to spare another 3s from iiis pay, making, with the allowance, 6a, besides which assistance may be given by the Financial Assistance Board up to £S per week to meet charges for rent, interest, life insurance, etc., an increase of £ 1 on the present amount. The Second Division League asks for a straight out separation allowance of 6s, preferring to have the amount definitely fixed to any help that may be given by the Financial Assistance Board; an allowance, in other words, by right and not at the discretion of the Board. Under the Bill a man owning a property on which there is no mortgage and having no life insurance policy is unable to obtain help from the Financial Assistance Board, whereas another person having rent or interest charts und insur-

ance premiums to meet can claim up to £3 a week. This penalises thrift and industry, and is obviously inequitable. It must be conceded that £2 2s a week separation allowance, supplemented by anything the husband can spare from his pay, will not place a wife in a position of affluence, even when she receives in addition 7s for each child, for it bus to be 'borne in mind that f.h» ourchasing value of money has, since the outbreak of war, decreased by at least 25 per cent. The Government could advantageously drop the extra £1 under the Financial Assistance Board and tack it on to a wife's separation allowance, thus making it fls a day. 'lf this is found inexpedient, then a grant of a stated amount for rent might be given fta a right and not at the discretion of

tiie Board. This would entail a heavier charge on the State, because then everyone would be entitled to a staled amount for rent, whereas now the Financial Assistance Hoard, has the power to, refuse help in certain cases. • Married men, however, would know for certain the provision made for their wives and children and it gives them a sense of security and satisfaction as to the future of their homes, wives and families. It is not easy in these times to maintain a child on 7s a week. Magistrates in affiliation cases now grant 10s a week. Surely soldiers' children are entitled to the same consideration. The pensions allowances are reasonable. Under the flat rate, the pension for a totally disabled man is &i. plus £1 for a wife, and 7s (Id for each child. But if he can qualify under the alternate rate ho and his family may receive up to £5. A single soldier, however, can only obtain up to £3 per week. In England ii soldier, whether married or single, can draw an alternative pension of up to £3 15s a week. Considering the additional value of money in England in normal times the single man is infinitely better off there than here. There is a provision,, however, in the Bill whereby the single man may receive the married allowance if he marries within two years of) the date of his discharge, but the vexatious conditions in the previous Pensions Acts are not removed or modified. The maximum amount a. man and his wife can receive is £4 per week, but to quality for the extra £1 they have to prove that their standard of comfort prior to the war could not be maintained on £3 a week. In England they could obtain £3 15s, which in normal times is equal to £5 12s fid in Sew Zealand. It has to be borne in mind that the wife and children have no absolute right to .pensions in the case of whole or partial disablement of ;.ie breadwinner (though the latter's pension is absolute); the giving and the amount of the pension rests entirely with the Pensions Board. So it is essential that the Pensions Board should be constituted iu a way that will command general confidence, and in this connection it is suggested that the single and married returned soldiers should ha"vo representation upon the Board. In regard to pensions for widows, the flat rate is £ 1 10s for widows without children and £2 for widows with children, but under the additional pensions scheme a widow may have her pension increased by an additional 10s .per week, which the Minister has now agreed to increase to 15s, so that a widow without a child may receive £2 os; a widow with one child £3 2s Gd, the limit being reached at £l. Xo provision is made for motherless children. A soldier may have lost his wife. He can draw 15s for each child, but in case of his death no provision is available for a guardian. The Minister has undertaken to make provision for such cases, as well as for invalid wives, whilst Cabinet is considering wbat can be done in respect of medical attention for wives and children while the soldier is lighting, as is the case in Britain. Previously up to 10s a week could be claimed for an attendant to a totally disabled soldier; in England the amount is £l. The Bill provides for an increase to, the £l. No provision is made in the Bill for encouraging a man to supplement his subsequent earning power. In Britain he is given a bonus and all hi? fees, etc., are met by the State, the underlying, idea being to make him a useful unit of the community again, Where a man is undergoing medical attention the Pensions Bnard may, under the Bill, grant him an additional allowance up to 10s per week; the Minister lias undertaken to increase this to £l. This is but compensation for wages lost, and "therefore equitable. Though - .ie Bill is not so comprehensive as the British scheme, it embraces its most important principles and constitutes a great advance on the present one, and with e alterations in the directions indicated, particularly in regard to increasing Jie separation allowance, and, if necessary ; decreasing the aid under the Financial Assistance Board, can be made generally acceptable. The Government has necessarily to concern itself wiflh the financial aspect, but no consideration, however important, should be allowed fe're with the duty the State owes to the dependents of those who figlit for the country. During the American civil war President Lincoln uttered these words: — ''This extraordinary war in which we are engaged falls heavily upon all classes ot people, but the most heavily upon the soldier. For it has been said, 'all that a man hath will he give for his life'; and, whilst all contribute of their substance, the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then, is due to the soldier!" Those words apply just as forcibly to the New Zealand soldier of to-day, and it should be a privilege, as it is a duty, to see that everything is done that can be done for him and his dependents.