5

F—9

The total revenue from the endowment lands credited to old-age pensions is £36.901 2k. 3d.. »* follows : — £ s. d. 1910 20,142 12 7 1911 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16,758 9 8 £36,901 2 3 A comparative statement, .showing the variation in the annual payments year by year, is embodied in Table IX of the appendix. The grand total now paid in pensions since 1898 has reached the sum of £3,150,404. The distribution of last year's payments in the various parts of the Dominion is indicated in the following table, which is immediately followed by a table showing the cost per head of the population (exclusive of Maoris) in each year since the Act came into operation : — Postal District. Number. £ Am ° unt^ Auckland .. .. .. . . .. 39,219 79,770 18 7 Thames .. .. .. .. .. 6,608 13,722 2 6 Gisborn, .. 1,429 2,761 16 8 Napier .. .. .. .. . . 6,972 14,333 18 2 New Plymouth .. .. .. .. 3,343 6,745 9 3 Wanganui .. . . .. . . .. 5,858 12,255 I • 5 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 19,646 40,21 J 8 7 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 3,742 7,796 10 6 Blenheim .. .. .. .. .. 2,252 4,634 13 1 Cliristrhurch .. .. .. .. .. 31,044 f>3.893 14 9 Timarn .. .. . . . . . . 7,333 14,985 10 5 Greymoiith .. .. .. .. .. 6,349 13,280 J 2 Hokitikii .. .. .. .. .. 6,473 13,742 15 8 Westport .. .. .. .. .. 3,373 7,031 4 9 Oamaru .. .. .. .. .. 3,737 7,700 15 11 Dunedin . . .. .. .. .. 27,965 56,867 15 6 Invcrcargill .. .. .. .. .. 11,516 23,658 13 11 Totals .. .. . .. 186,857 £383.392 10 H Gross Payments D . . Cost per on Account of Po *" 1 *?™ Head of Pensions. *V™ o[ Population. £ * ear s. a. Three months ended 31st March, 1899 (at £18) 3,124 746,676 0 1 Year ended 31st March, 1900 fat £18) ... L57,34y 758,617 I I 1901 „ ... 197,292 772,719 5 1 1902 „ ... 207,468 789,994 5 8 1903 „ ... 210,140 814,842 5 2 1904 „ ... 203,164 838,954 i 10 1905 ,. ... 195,475 864,971 1 6 1906 (at £18,and E26|... 254,367 889,968 5 8 1907 iat 626) ... 314,184 913,873 6 10 1908 „ ... 325,199 937,587 6 11 1909 „ ... 336,760 968,313 6 I] 1910 „ ... 332,496 987,480 7 4 1911 „ ... 383,393 1,008,407 7 7 Total ... ... ... W. 150,404 Recoveries. The amount recovered and paid to the credit of the Public Account during the year totalled £653 2s. 8d., a somewhat larger sum than that obtained for several years. Included in this total are sums collected, among other sources, from the executors of the estates of deceased pensioners : and the figures only go to show that, however careful the administration may be in obtaining for the information of Magistrates the fullest particulars possible regarding the financial position of applicants, there are loopholes whereby those people, who feel that to resort to subterfuge to defraud the State is not altogether dishonourable, can aud do defeat the objects of the Act. Happily, the proportion o) these is small compared to the ever-increasing army of those whose circumstances during early and middle life have been barely flourishing enough to allow of provision being made for a rainy day, and who find the 10s. a week provided by the State as a reward for their labours a real benefit in their declining days. Witli the knowledge that any transgression will sooner or later be brought to account, this class of pensioner can be expected to disappear altogether. As examples of the cases detected during the past year by the system of check in operation in the Department, the following may be mentioned : — (a.) Bank account of £400 not disclosed, and not traced when pension applied for by reason of being in another name. Refund of £65 obtained from husband and wife. (i.) Land. £234. not disclosed over a period of eight years. Refund of £105 obtained when land sold.