HIGHER PENSIONS.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 9, 14 May 1920, Page 13

HIGHER PENSIONS.

DEMANDED BY R.S.A. INCREASE FROM £2 TO £3 10s PER WEEK. The question of demanding a substantial increase in war pensions in consequence of the increased cost of living was discussed at the meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association on Tuesday. A letter was read from the Minister of D.efence, stating, in reply to the resolution of conference, urging the establishment of plus perccntages for aisablement pensions, that effect could be given to tlre proposal only by an amendment of the law, and upon this question the Government had not yet come to a conclusion. The chairman (Dr. E. Boxer) said th,e country would have to consider the whole question of asking a man suffering from total disability to live on £2 a week. Hitherto the Pensions Board had adopted the practiee of over-asses-ing disabilities, but now that the great majority of these cases had reached normality they would have to be reviewed, and lower pensions would be granted in consequence. That meant that the usual war pensions bill must f all considerably soon. No doubt many of the men would "buck." The more he thought of the plus percentage proposals the less he liked it as being too ticklish. He thought it would be better to work for a 50 pcr cent. rise in war pensions all round hy increasing the present maximum disability rate from £2 to £3 per week. Mr W. E. Leaclley (Christchurch) agreed. He thought it was a mistake to go for plus percentages; they should go for an all-round increase on account of the cost of living. He moved : — "That headquaters be instructed to oi>en up negotiations with the Government, with a view to increasing the present maximum pension of £2 to £3 10s. per week, and that subsidiary pensions be increased pro rata." The motion was carried unanimously. 'Tho chairman commented that this was the best thing they had done. The whole question was whether a man totally disabled should be asked to live on £2 a week. He could not do it. Mr R. J. F. Aldrich "They force him to work, and crack him up."