VIEWS OF THE R.S.A.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1938, Page 8

VIEWS OF THE R.S.A.

HEALTH & SUPERANNUATION PROPOSALS EVIDENCE SUBMITTED TO COMMITTEE. SCALE OF ALLOWANCES SUGGESTED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 12. Evidence on behalf of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association was given before the National Health and Superannuation Committee today. Referring to the War Pensions Acts, a memorandum says the association desires that the legislation and administration should be retained in their entirety and not submerged in any general scheme. The association submits the following as a reasonable schedule of war veterans’ allowances under existing circumstances: Single veteran, 30s a week; married veteran without children, £1 15s; married veteran with one child, £2 15s; with two children, £3 ss; with three children, £3 15s; with 4 children, £4 5s a week, maximum to be £4 5s a week, but the veteran to be allowed earnings or other income to the extent of £52 a year.

Under present-day conditions, the association saw no possible justification for further withholding the restoration of the cut in economic war pensions.

Referring to national superannuation, the memorandum says: “We have drawn attention previously to the premature ageing of ex-Service men and certain of our association members have strongly urged the view that the ex-Service man should qualify at fifty. The section of the community contemplated by the superannuation scheme, however, is regarded as one which has suffered less in this respect than the section contemplated by the War Veterans’ Act and for that reason it is considered that a reasonable age qualification for the ex-Service man should be fifty-five years. The association feels that war pensions for physical disability should be exempted up to 15s a week for purposes of superannuation. The 15s limit is suggested because beyond that war pension, the ex-Service man can apply for an economic pension.