'PROMISE BROKEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1932, Page 7

'PROMISE BROKEN.

WIDOWS' PENSION "CUT"

REFORM M.P. INDIGNANT. MAY VOTE WITH LABOUR. "AN ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL." (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. With • the Parliamentary session scarcely begun there has already occurred an incident which may cost the Government the vote of one of its supporters when a division is taken on the Labour party's no-confidence amendment. Miners' widows' pensions isf the issue, and it has been forced by the Government's refusal, as implied by the Prime Minister's announcement this afternoon, to promote immediate legislation to restore the allowance. Criticising Mr. Forbes' statement in most vigorous language, Mr. A. M. Samuel (Coalition Reform, Thames) states that while he is unable to predict the immediate upshot of the announcement he believes it may have very serious consequences for the life of the Government.

The subject had its origin in the House at question time, when Mr. Samuel asked the Prime Minister, without notice, whether the Government would bring I iinniimini iiwmiiliM^MMfi the miners' widows' fm. ; * pensions, as prom- ilf <♦?!§ Samuel said, many llig,& JBdlß widows of miners who died from pneu- Mr. A. M. Samuel. moconiosis were in a state of great anxiety and uncertainty, because they had been i by the commissioner that their pensions would cease at the end of the current month, despite the promise made on the floor of the House by Mr. Coates that legislation would be introduced to restore the pension. "No Such Promise Made." "The Government," replied Mr. Forbes, "has the matter under consideration, and each case of miners' widows' pensions will be treated on its individual merits. Mr. Coatee made no such promise as represented." Air- Samuel: An absolute betrayal— unforgivable! "I was astounded at the statement of the Prime Minister that no promise had been made by Mr. Coates, and that each I pension would be considered on its merits," said Mr. Samuel in an interview, last night. "Although the promise was made when the House was in Committee, it was heard, and it can be verified by members of the House and others. The Prime Minister's statement that each pension will be considered on its merits is all balderdash, because unless legislation is introduced to restore the pensions they automatically lapse, and the Government has no power to consider them on their merits. " What has happened I consider to be an abso- ' lute betrayal, not only of the promise given by a Cabinet Minister, who was leading the Government at the time, but an unforgivable betraj-al of women who were in receipt of a pension made by solemn contract between the Government, on behalf of the nation, and the widows of men who have died in the industrial service of the country. Many of these men, be it remembered, died happy in the knowledge- that their widows would be provided for ae' long as they lived. {'Government Was In Danger." "I feel it will be most difficult for me to support a .Government whose promises are so worthless," .said Mr. Samuel. "To indicate how serious the question was at the time, I would direct public attention to my third reading speech on the bill, when 1 placed on record, not only Mr. Coates' promise, but a statement that had that promise not been made the Government i was in danger of defeat on the National | Expenditure Adjustment Bill. lam still' absolutely certain that if the promise j had not been made a number of members, would have voted with the Official. Opposition to bring about the' defeat of the Government. That the Government was perturbed over that particular clause in the bill was shown in the statement by Mr. Coates that if the 'clause were allowed to pass he would introduce legislation next session to restore what the bill proposed to do away with. Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates were both in the House at the time of my speech, and there was not one word of protest or denial. "The Prime Minister's meaningless reply to'niy question this,afternoon can* not be allowed to remain at that. I am sure many members of the House will kpenly resent this promise being broken. What the upshot will be I cannot say at the moment, but it may have very serious consequences on the life of the Government."