tL—lB

Medical treatment of war pensioners during 1933-34 cost £69,131. Railway concessions to war pensioners on maximum permanent disablement pension and those with locomotive disabilities on permanent pension in excess of 50 per cent, cost £1,562 during the year. The loading paid on life-insurance policies of war pensioners due to war-service disability amounted to £167 for the year. Temporary war pensions to soldiers increased by 147 and permanent pensions to soldiers increased by 138 during the year. The 419 deaths among war pensioners are made up as follows : Soldiers, 161; widows of soldiers, 12 ; other dependants, 246. Discharged Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment Act, 1930. The rehabilitation of disabled ex-soldiers has been carried out with increasing difficulty during the past year owing to the continued economic depression and the very limited finance available for the purpose. The committees set up in terms of the provisions of the Act and the employment officers have made every endeavour to place disabled ex-soldiers in employment, and, although a fair measure of success has been achieved, it is becoming more evident that the ordinary channels of employment are practically closed to the disabled man by reason mainly of his inability through his disabilities to carry out work of a sustained nature. However, in some cases permanent employment has been secured, but mostly the work obtained has been of a casual nature. For the more seriously disabled men the system whereby ex-soldiers manufacture articles in their own homes and sell them through special shops in the cities continues to be the most successful solution of this problem, not only as a means of bringing in some small remuneration to the workers, but also in giving to each participant some definite encouragement that profitable use may still be made of what ability and craftsmanship he still possesses.

Statistics in regard to Civil Pensions.

4

Old-age. Widows'. J Maori War. j Miners', j Blind. Epidemic. f 610* 1 Pensions in force at 31st March, 1933 .. 34,932 4,687 106 133 - )- j New pensions granted, 1933-34 .. .. 5,509 ■ 703 i 70 60 Deaths during 1933-34 .. .. .. 2,369 1 5 20 51 12 Cancellations during 1933-34 .. .. 565 766 .. 26 5 30 Net increase or decrease .. .. +2,575 —68 —20 \ —7 +43 —30 f 617* Pensions in force at 31st March, 1934 .. 37,507 4,619 86 119f / Total children in receipt of pension, 31st .. 9,442 .. .. .. 77 March, 1934 I Total European pensioners sixty-five years and ! 29,631 over at 31st March, 1934 Total female European pensioners sixty years 6,155 .. .. . ■ | to sixty-four years at 31st March, 1934 Percentage of European pensioners to total 2-4 .. . . • • European population Total Maori pensioners .. .. 1,687 366 30 .. 4J New claims lodged .. .. 0,708 802 .. 122 i 85 New claims rejected .. .. 1,298 111 .. 57 Number of children on whose account pension .. 1,556 Annual liability at 31st March, 1934 .. £1,403,375 | £301,388 £4,214 £56,184 £20,399 £2,635 Average pension per annum .. £37 8 4 i £65 5 0 £49 0 0 £76 6 9 £4611 5 £38 15 1 Gross expenditure for year 1933—34 .. £1,350,982 £302,020 £4,522 £56,810 £19,306 £3,2J0 Increase or decrease on figures of previous +£79,825 ; —£9,297 —£1,309 —£5,753 +£1,241 —£90/ Cost per head of European population .. 18s. 4d. | 4s. Id. 0-7d. 9-2d. 3-ld. 0-5d. Credit from national endowment .. •• £22,809 .. •• , •• •• Refunds paid to Public Account .. • £827 j £201 ... £5 £-1 Number of pensioners in homes and hospitals 1,121 .. 4 6 _ 114 Amount paid to controlling authorities of £47,009 .. £272 j £523 £5,586 these i ■ Number of pensioners in mental hospitals . . 1 157 .. .. 1 - Amount paid to Mental Hospitals Depart- £5,455 .. . • £55 ment on account of these Unpaid instalments as at 31st March, 1934 .. £6 ,031 £1,815 £-9 ; £220 : i-,8 £o Instalments forfeited and subsequently paid .. £1,512 £322 .. £56 £8 £3 Average of family under fifteen years ■■ 2-04 .. ■ '', Total claims lodged to date .. •• 133,790 ! ™! "ono Total claims established .. .. 105,400 15,637 1,698 2,125 o81 97-, Total claims rejected .. .. 27,811 2,65- 195 515 Total number of children benefited.. .. ■■ 37,935 .. . 1 : " ,, Total deaths .. .. •• •• 55,016 132 1,606 854 102 14 Total guardians appointed .. •• 345 . '' ., "nnr> Total cancellations .. •• 12,877 10,886 6 535 41 890 Grand total paid to date :. .. .. £21,857,128 £4,242,957 £601,253 £693,631 £129,639 £470,944 Total amount paid on account funeral expenses ■ . .. •• •• £/,649 Total credit from national endowment .. £740,946 j .. .. .. ■■ , ••• * Miners. t Widows. Total European population at 31st March, 1934, 1,476,026.