8.—6

XIX

PENSIONS. The following payments were made during the year ended 31st March, 1924 : —■ £ War pensions .'. .. .. .. .. 1,306,652 Old-age pensions .. .. .. .. 765,392* Widows'pensions .. .. .. .. 202,364 Miners'pensions .. .. .. .. 36,060f Maori War pensions .. .. .. .. 30,326 Epidemic pensions .. .. . . . . 32,507 Pensions under Civil Service Act, 1908 .. . . 21,025 Military pensions under Defence Act, 1909 . . .. 3,146 Pensions under Judicature Act, 1908 .. .. 2,889 Police pensions . . .. .. .. .. 486 Sundry pensions and annuities .. .. .. 4,374 £2,405,221 * Includes £33,338 expended from national-endowment revenue. t Includes £3,49!) gold duly collected under Miner's Phthisis Act, 1915. War Pensions. The total of the actual payments made in respect of war pensions to the 31st March, 1924, is £10,139,996. The annual liability in respect of each class of war pension at the close of the year is shown in the following table : —

The amended War Pensions Act passed last session provided for a War Pensions Appeal Board and. the payment of economic pensions. Of 300 appeals, 144 were dismissed and 121 upheld, the remainder being in abeyance or otherwise dealt with. There are still some 400 appeals to be disposed, of. In regard to economic pensions, 924 claims were established between the Ist September, 1923, and the 31st March, 1924. These, with the 1,343 cases already in receipt of supplementary pensions when the Act was passed, made a total of 2,267 grants under this head, the annual value of which totalled £132,288. SUPERANNUATION. • The subsidies and contributions of the three funds for the year were as follows : — a , -j- Contributions Subsidies. , -<? , by Employees. £ £ Public Service .. .. 136,000 228,000 Teachers .. .. .. 68,000 102,000 Railways.. .. .. 125,000 133,000 £329,000 £463,000

Class of Pension. Number of Pensions. Annual Value. Average Pension. Class of Pension. uiass 01 -Tension. Soldiers (permanent) Soldiers (temporary) Dependants (temporary) Widows and guardians of children .. Other dependants of deceased soldiers 6,784 7,731 807* l,977f 5,867} £ 333,946 407,847 62,916 203,342 205,075 ! £ 49 53 78 103 35 23,166 £1,213,126 £52 * Covers 1,208 children. t Covers 2,138 c! ildren. t lovers 31 children.