WAR PENSIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1940, Page 2

WAR PENSIONS

AMENDING BILL PASSED BY HOUSE GENERAL APPROVAL. INCREASE IN BASIC RATE URGED BY MR LEE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. General approval of the War Pensions Amendment Bill was expressed by speakers on both sides of the House of Representatives when the second reading debate was taken yesterday. “I think we all admit that we cannot do too much for those men. who have gone away to fight the battle for our country and Empire,” said Mr Cobbe (Opposition, Manawatu), who followed the Minister in Charge of War Pensions, Mr Jones. Mr Cobbe said, as one who had been connected with the department in the past, that he was very pleased that the Minister had brought down this amendment. He was sure it would appeal to every member of the House. Mr Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) said he was happy to see the Bill, particularly the clause relating to marriages. For a long time they had told the young men what noble soldiers they were, but had not made it easy for them to marry and add io the size of the population. “I am a little bit concerned about the future of men who may be disabled,” Mr Lee said, “though I do not think there will be as many disabled in this war as in the last. I do not think wc will be faced with the same sized pensions bill, but we never know where wc may be involved in a war of movement in which men may be disabled in large numbers. “All the re-educational and rehabilitation systems in the world will not enable a man to fit into civil grooves easily. I cannot help feeling that we want a new departure this time, that where men are suffering from gun-shot wounds only, the civil service ought to be compelled to absorb a definite percentage of them at full rates of pay.” Mr Lee also raised the question whether the basic rate of pension, £2, was sufficient.' He did not think it was and urged that it be raised. There had been no increase in the basic £2 since the last war ended, though supplementary pensions had been altered.

“It is almost the one basic pension which has never been altered,” Mr Lee said. “I think the time has arrived to consider that £2 of yesterday in relation to the wages and conditions of today. I hope we will revise that £2 up and also the £1 for the wife. Things have moved on.” “We recognise that it is a fair Bill and we on this side of the House will be hapny to support it,” said Mr Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North). He would not suggest it was the last word in war pensions, but it was a good Bill. New Zealand in the main had treated her soldiers generously. She led the world in the field of war pensions and in generosity to her soldiers.

Mr Holland asked the Minister to reconsider the provision by which Territorials or other dependants had iio prove that disability or injury they suffered arose from war service. They were soldiers for 24 hours of the day and should be put on the same basis as members of the Expeditionary Force.