SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25878, 10 August 1949, Page 9

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

“ New Zealand Far Behind Britain”

CHRISTCHURCH MAN’S OBSERVATIONS

i Zealand once claimed that she leu the world in social services, but she cannot claim that to-day. New Zealand is far behind England in these matters,” said Mr G. Lowis, of Christchurch, who has just returned to New Zealand after spending two years touring Britain and the United States. The benefits obtainable in England far exceeded those obtainable in New Zealand, he said. Directly he landed in Britain he xound he was entitled to these benefits, said Mr Lowis. These included tree medical attention, free spectacles and false teeth. X-ray and medical specialists’ treatment were among the benefits, which were entirely free of u° st- Just before he left Britain he had his eyes tested and was told that he needed new glasses. These, he was told, would be sent on to his New Zealand address. In the United States also, some States had these benefits. The political situation in Britain was a complicated one, said Mr Lowis. From observations he had made he found that the people were dissatisfied with the present Labour Government, and yet were scared of what would happen if a Tory Government were returned to power. Dissatisfaction at the conditions under which the people were living accounted partly for this. Most workers in Britain were “slaving,” and yet were getting nothing from it. The result was that nobody wanted to work overtime, because most of their overtime earnings were taken by the Government in tax. Production had slipped accordingly. In Britain only the first £l2O was exempt from income tax. Further dissatisfaction was caused through the food shortage, he said, and although the people were patient, unfulfilled promises of better conditions made by the Government had caused unrest.

America a Land of Plenty America was a land of plenty, said Mr Lowis. After existing on the meals in England for some considerable tune, a meal in an American roadside cafe came as a welcome change. At one stopping place he had ordered a meat sandwich. - When he received his order he found his “sandwich” consisted of a steak the size of the Plate it was on, with all the trimmings, and a plate full of bread and cutter. Petrol throughout America was 20 cents a gallon (about Is in New Zealand) and transport was just as cheap. He had travelled from New y °rk to San Francisco, a distance of 3180 miles, for 52 dollars (about £l2 10s).