Mr CHARLTON (Hunter) .-.I wish to direct the Acting Treasurer's attention to the administration of old-age pensions in the Maitland district. At Newcastle there is an office for old-age pension purposes, which is run in conjunction with the State invalid pension. The officer in charge is a very good man. No better man could be found for the position. He receives applications, and forwards them to Sydney. But when they have been dealt with there no information is forwarded to him as to what has been done. The applicant, after a little while perhaps, receives a notification that the pension has not been granted, or that the maximum amount has been decreased, but the officer in charge is furnished with no information which he can supply to applicants. He is absolutely ignored. Surely, however, facilities ought to be afforded for applicants to obtain information on the spot as to why a pension has been refused or reduced, or as to whether it has been granted. At present, applicants, being troubled in mind as to what has occurred, make an appeal to their Parliamentary representatives. I have had cases of persons who travelled 50 or 60 miles to consult me about old-age pensions, and then found to their mortification that I was absent in Melbourne ; but if the required information had been sent to the officer on the spot he would have been able to supply it to applicants in the Newcastle and Maitland districts. In one case that is under investigation by me there has been a delay of four months in dealing with an application. I hope that the Acting Treasurer will communicate with the officers responsible in Sydney, and have this matter attended to.