HUMANITARIAN LEGISLATION IN N.Z.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 21

HUMANITARIAN LEGISLATION IN N.Z.

To The Editor.

>11 'Vj hored lhat electors Will not X™.", ■?iJ? r ,i h T ~f th ' returnedi National party will, if ilo'tioi. «J . ! T" "f U,u tarian ", ""1 th of the hwmH..i ; ''o l *latum cither in force or under much"!; at uv AS a " ,atter "act fur ul, I, •} "'""""ta-'iiii legislation ' Kh , th . e is justly famed •i"hcr a Mr s ,U ' aW '"""y > e »'« , r All. Savage or some of his col le.igues possibly even thought of mi"ra- • °N« Zealand. Illation ,U>signed to protect the Worker and hi« dependents dates back nearly ;V» years Mlm" 10 ,,?, ,* 1 ""8- r l tl '*" that. Thus, in »l, under the Liberal Minister of Labour (the late Hon. lVmber Keeves) , the Conciliation and Arbitra--1 'i* ; A Wa - p * wpru safeguarded bv 11° Vn : l l ,ahSL ' d >" the same year. I ho following year saw the passin-»of the Wages Lien ] aw . Jn 1 «<>.", came the Hages Attachment, and in IS!Ill the \\ages_ Protection Act. Workers' coinj»n»siit ion legislation back to ISS*-* "-V Accident Compel,nation Act en me into force :t() years a-o. I I nio.iK received lega I 'protection under an Act passed so long ago as IM7S ami hours of work, rates of wages and I Olid it ions ot work were regulated by the Arbitration Court inaugurated in the early "eighteen nineties." 1„ addition, were pa sued various Factory Acts and amendment* and before them statutes were in force regulating the rights of apprentice*. All of these (and other laws passed for the due protection of workers) were extended and improved from time co time long before the Labour party came into power. Further, even so far as the much-debated social security legislation is concerned, electors may be reminded that much of the scheme is in principle by no means as new as some would have us believe. Before the Labour party came into office in 19:15, New Zealanders were enjoying more than a dozen different classes of pensions. These Included the old age pension, which dates from 18!)8; widow's' pension. legislation, which dates from 11)11; and that for miners, which became law in 15120. There wore al«o the epidemic pension legislation of 1!M8. and the family allowance law inaugurated irt Xew Zealand's hospital system providing liberal services to the "needy sick, dates back to 1874, and home maternity- legislation has been in force for more than 30 years. It is thus incorrect, as well as misleading, for supporters of the Labour party to claim that much of the humanitarian legislation is entirely new. What is new is the illconsidered means of financing such. Altogether on© finds, on checking up, that more than a score of Acts and amendments of a humanitarian nature, designed for the protection and welfare of workers and their dependent*, were passed into law in New Zealand long before the Labour Government came into office; it is but fair and reasonable that electors should be reminded of the fact.

Supporters of the National party have little fault to find with the principle underlying the Social Security Bill, but the question that confronts them is how will it be possible for the taxpayer* to bear the burden of cost. They fear the result of the ill-considered ways and means of finding the money is bound to land the country into a state of financial chaos. Bjr all means let our legislation be designed to assist the weak and needy, but in bringing such forward let Us not only be sure we can afford the cost without crippling private enterprise, but let us be fair and honest to those who have gone before. To spread the report that members of a party opposed to Socialism (a very different thing from Humanitarianism) will, if returned to power, take away the very privileges and benefits they have assisted to provide in the past, is hardly playing the game as British people everywhere like to see the game—even of politics— played. W. H. HEMINGWAY.