H.—lB

of military pensioners. These accretions are in the main responsible for the increase, after five months' working, in the total liability under all heads of over £65,000, and it is confidently anticipated that before twelve months is up the additional £35,000 required to make up the full amount of the estimate will have been added. The various amendments provide for the following : — In regard to old-age pensions : — (1.) Reduction of pension age for women from 65 to 60. (2.) Variation in scale of absences front Dominion, whereby an additional absence of six months is allowed for every year in excess of the twenty-five years following date of arrival. (3.) Halving of income of married applicant. (4.) Increase in limitation of incomes of married couples (including pension) from £90 to £100. (5.) Repeal of the compulsory penal clauses relating to convictions during currency of pension. In regard to widows' pensions : — (1.) Payment on account of step-children and of children legally adopted during lifetime of husband. (2.) Exemption of home to value of £340. In regard to military pensions :— (I.) Repeal of the income and property restrictions. Other provisions affecting one or other of the three classes of pension are, — (I.) Charging of home at valuation existing when pension first granted. (2.) Abolition of investigation of claim in open Court. (3.) Payment of January instalments of pension before Christmas. (1.) Exemption as income of grants from Gold-miners' and Coal-miners' Relief Funds; of allowances from relatives and by way of charity up to £52 in any year ; of reasonable sums expended from capital ; and of money received from estates of deceased husbands or wives. (5.) Alternative penalty for fraud by way of fine in lieu of imprisonment. (6.) Charging of property alienated by will of deceased husband or wife of applicant. (7.) Charging of anticipated income of a fixed nature. Old-age Pknsions. Pensions in Force. —The number of pensioners under this head on the 31st March, including 671 Maoris, was 18.050, being an increase of 1,511 on the figures of the previous year, as follows :— Europeans. Maoris. Totals. New grants .. .. .. .. .. 3,212 108 3,320 Deduct— Deaths .. .. .. .. 1,393 86 Cancellations .. .. .. .. 270 30 1,779 Increase .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,541 The liability in regard to these was £447,765, being an average of £24 16s. per pension. Included in the total are 1,160 females of the ages of 60 to 64 inclusive, all admitted durin« the last half of the year. 2,677 married couples were on lh" roll at the close of the year. The rise and fall in pensioners month by month dining the year was as follows :—• April .. .. Increase 32 October .. .. Increase 36 May .. .. ~ 33 November .. .. „ 431 June .. .. ~ 17 December .. .. „ JO6 .Inly .. .. Decrease S January .. .. ~ 244 August .. ' i .. Increase 18 February .. .. „ 300 September ... .. Decrease 23 March .. .. ~ 355 Net increase, 1.511. The. percentages of European pensioners of the full age of 65 and upwards to the population eligible by age and to those eligible by age and residence remain at what they were at the end of each of the previous four years except [912 naniolv 32 per cent, and 36 per cent, respectively. As there has similarly been little fluctuation in the percentages of persons having the requisite age to the total population over the same period, it may, I think, be safely reckoned that we now have something stable in the way of statistics to enable a determination to be made in any year as to what the actual cost of old-age pensions will be with no radical alteration to the existing qualifications. Certain is it that nowadays few people who are eligible to claim an old-age pension will be found who are not enjoying the benefits of the Act. The figures for the five years above referred to arc as follows :—

2

At 31s' March. « (a.) European Percentage |,: '"'''["''" 1 Population 65 to Total I . p ! , l , . 1,1 ; lt,, '» and over. Population. ll 'S'ble by Age and Residence. European Pensioners 65 and over. Perce it ages. To (a). To (ft). 910 (estimated) .. 911 (actual) ill2 (estimated) .. 913 914 44,838 47,700 48,294 48.9 ir. 49.473 4-54 4-72 4-68 I-co 4-53 40,238 41,990 42,772 43,557 44.209 14,626 15,336 15,984 15,830 16,204 32 32 33 32 32 36 36 37 36 36