WAR PENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1918, Page 6

WAR PENSIONS.

TliE ANNUAL LIABILITY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Jan. 5. The war pensions dealt witb to the end of December by the Commissioner of Pensions are as follow: The total claims from the inception of the scheme to December 31 last were 14,131, of which 111 permanent and semipermanent pensions were granted to soldiers and 7270 temporary, G3'2 were declined, 1) adjourned, 92 are on hand, and 17!) camp eases—total, 9301 soldiers. Of 5180 dependents 3658 get pensions, 7G-2 temporary pensions, 439 declined, 17 adjourned, 278 on hand, 19 camp cases. The gross annual value of all war pensions is £757,114, of which £414,919 represents the increase since March 31 last. Deducting deaths and cancellations the net result to-day is 10.450 pensioners, representing an annual liability of £614.090, or a little over £50,000 monthly. PROTEST PROM WIDOWED MOTHERS. DEPUTATION TO MR. MYERS. Auckland, Last Night. A deputation of the Soldiers' Mothers' League interviewed the Hon. A. M. Myers, and protested against the old-age pension being taken into account in fixing the military pension to widowed mothers whose sole support was killed. The speakers declared that every consideration was given to"*young wives of soldiers at the expense of the widowed mothers. Soldiers' wives received 30s a week, and could earn as much more, but the mothers had to live on 15s a week. The deputation asked that widowed mothers should receive a pension of 30s a week, exclusive of the old-age pension.Mrs. Kcssel said she was 01 years of age, and had five sons at the front; yet she was debarred from receiving any separation allowance, and because she owned a house ahe was refused the oldage pension.

Mr. Myers expressed sympathy with the league's views. The Government was as fully sensible of its responsibilities to mothers as to soldiers and their other dependents. It had been blamed for not giving enough to wives, and now the deputation said it was giving them too much. There would be a Cabinet meeting on Monday, and he would then bring the representations before his colleagues.