PROBLEM OF THE WORKLESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 182, 1 August 1923, Page 6

PROBLEM OF THE WORKLESS.

INSURANCE SUGGESTED. UNIVERSAL PENSIONS. ,■'*s (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) ■ WELLINGTON Tuesday. During tht> discussion on the report of the National Provident Fund, the k Eon. J. A. Hanan complained that New Zealand lagged behind Great Britain in . -.-- providing a State superannuation scheme > ' upon a proper basis. The Prime Minister said he had in- '• quired into schemes of the kind in Great - Britain and elsewhere, and he had no •* hesitation in saying they were not in the ' same street with what existed in New Zealand. The national insurance scheme * established in Great Britain by Mr. Lloyd George virtually ceased to exist' during the war, and "had not achieved the results expected of it. Mr. Maseey added that expenditure on pensions andsuperannuation had grovrn so enormously that it wae causing the head of the Treasury a good deal of anxiety. Messrs. J. A. Lee (Auckland East), P. Fraser (Wellington Central), and E. J. Howard (Christchureli South), urged the ' provision of unemployment insurance on a plan eimilxtr to that inaugurated by, the Queensland Government. They described the scheme at considerable length, f? Mr. Howard declared that some provision for seasonal unemployment wai badly needed. He suggested utilising [ freezing workers in suear beet cultiva-. ' tion during the off season. The Minister of Pensions, the Hon. (j. " J. Anderson, said the solution as he had ' stated several times before was a univereal contributory pension system covering unemployment insurance. The whole matter would be considered in foil detail during the recese with a view to a bill next session.