MR. COATES IN TE AROHA.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 259, 1 November 1928, Page 10

MR. COATES IN TE AROHA.

INVALIDITY PENSIONS. GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) TE AROHA, Wednesday. The Prime Minister, the Right Hon. J. i.. Coates, addressed an enthusiastic meeting in Te Acpha to-night. His Npeech followed the lines of others he has given in his campaign, and he was given a vote of thanks and confidence.

Discussing the invalidity pension proposals of the Government, the Prime Minister said the friendly societies did a certain amount of that work now. The question was whether the societies should make provision for invalidity pensions for all of the community, whether the work should be undertaken I by the State, or whether the State and i the friendly societies should co-operate in a scheme that would remove from all homes the dread that the breadwinner might some day become incapacitated. "It is a terrible thought," said Mr. Coates, "but there is no doubt there are cases where, so far as the wife and children are concerned, it would be better if the husband and father were dead, rather than that he should be bedridden for life. We have to see to it that in such cases the wife and children become entitled to an allowance on the lines of that given to the individual orphan," (Applause.)

Referring to land settlement schemes for part-time farmers and rural workers, Mr. Coates said the email holding scheme had been a great success in Denmark and now the Balkan States were sending an immense volume of small farm produce in the way of eggs and poultry, etc., to the British market. If New Zealanders could develop such an export trade it would add tremendously to the wealth of the country.