SOCIAL SECURITY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 17

SOCIAL SECURITY

TO TH» EDITOR or THE FEES*. Sir, —To the observant it seems superfluous to be agitated about "social security." How can any of our young people know they will be able to draw a pension at 60? How, above all, do any of us know who will be controlling New Zealand, even in a year or two? It is true we believe Great Britain will fight for us, and our contempt for “Homies” (too frequently expressed) does not prevent our relying on them in a tight corner. But how will things go if they themselves are struggling in a life or death grapple?

The public in the mass is blind and deaf to all it finds inconvenient. It is at present by the Government the unconscious victim of one of, the grimmest gambles ever perpetrated; and having largely forsaken the piety of tnose who founded Canterbury, our people are without the safeguard of believing in duty and the obligation of all fit men to defend their country and their hearth. What have we done with the- heritage bequeathed to us by our pioneer forefathers? How have we guarded the name won for us by the blood and agony of our "elder brethren" at Gallipoli and on Flanders fields? We know the answer, and are angry when wc remember it. We have not populated the land with our own children, and from selfish dread of sharing any of our good things, we have kept our spaces empty when our own kin could have filled them. Therefore to-day we are in peril of extinction, and although more than £20,000,000 is to be expended on public works, less than £1,600.000 is to be spent on defence.

We uttered noble sentiments at Geneva by the mouth of Mr Jordan, but we are neither willing nor able to carry therp into action, and we learn that out of a “grossly inadequate” peace time establishment of about 9000 men only about 3000 attended camp last year. Let us face squarely up to facts. We are not following Mr Savage and Mr Nash in the characters of a modern Moses and Joshua into a land of "social security.” flowing with rivers of beer, but we are facing the possibility (one fears it is the probability) of becoming the vassal people of a yellow race. We have not national security, so why talk of the lesser matter? We cannot be jollied along even by Mr Savage on the broad road to destruction.

. Mr Semple has declared his dislike of "sissies”; there are more useful ways of avoiding this stigma than speeding on motor-cycles. By the memory of our dead let us awake. — Yours, etc.,

PASSCHENDAELE 1917, July 23, 193 G.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FRESo

Sir.—lf. is difficult to find words to describe- the report of the Committee on Social Security. One word may _crvc as a preliminary—chaotic. The only definite proposal is that relating to*the c ntribulion of Is in the SI on all incomes. 1 would stress the word all because there is no mention of exemptions, not even on the pension to bo received. There does not appear to be anything in the report which indicates that any suggestions placed before the committee by those who gave evidence have been considered. The proposal to extract the contribution of Is in the £ from those who are drawing superannuation from any source or pensions of any kind is, to my mind, a breach of contract. Practically all superannuation schemes are bared on the principle that the benefit shall be commenced to the contributor at the age CO and the contributions will cease to be payable at that age. To compel all present suporannuitants to pay the proposed contribution wouldtherefore. 1 contend, be legally and morally wrong. To those persons who arc at present contributing to superannuation schemes the scheme will bo particularly unjust, as the great majority will be contributing for no additional future benefit. Mr Savage seems to be making desperate efforts to make it appear to the mass of the people that the scheme is something new, whereas there has been in existence for many years the National Provident Fund, which includes superannuation, sickness, invalidity, and maternity benefits. There are also compulsory superannuation schemes in all branches of the Public Service, banks, insurance, and other offices. The present scheme of the Labour Government is apparently not actuarially sound. Mr Savage and Mr Nash tried in vain to extract from the English actuary a statement that it was actuariolly sound. The proposed social security plan seems to be an effort to plunge into chaos the excellent social services existing in the Dominion, which were gradually built up by previous governments, and to extract a further 50 per cent, increase in direct taxation. It would appear that the old saying still holds good: “Some people rush in where angels fear to tread."—Yours, etc., ' , RIP VAN WINKLE. July 26. 1938.