WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 196, 20 August 1925, Page 11

WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

FULL BENEFITS URGED. BILL APPROVED, BUT SHELVED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary llepo~Ler.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Briefly, Mr. E. J. Howard's Workers' Compensation Act. the second reading of which was reached in the House of Representatives last night, sought to secure to the victim of an accident £1000 for total disablement, instead of £750 jas formerly, and also sought to place compulsion on employers to insure workers against accident with the State Accident Insurance Department. The bill was vigorously championed jby Mr. H. Poland (Ohinemuri), who said the worker only claimed what he was j entitled to. full'pay when disabled during employment. As the daily wage worker was now receiving 14/ a day, he obtained only 7/9 while disabled by injury sustained in the course of his employment, though he might be a marI ried man paying £1 to £2- a week for rent. At the present time shareholders oi private insurance companies drew more in dividends than did the victims of accident and disablement. They were not honest men who would allow this sort of thing to go on. The Minister in charge (Sir Heaton Rhodes) indicated that accident insurance would, by a reduction of premiums and higher benefits, automatically become a State monopoly. Mr. W. E. Parry expressed gratification at the policy indicated by the Minister, and after' Mr. Howard had replied stating that the State could have paid 100 per cent sick pay with medical and other costs, given a 10 per cent rebate, and put aside 32 per cent for contingencies on premiums charged in private insurance companies, the bill was referred to the Labour Bills Committee and the House adjourned.