SOCIAL PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 38, 15 February 1919, Page 9

SOCIAL PROBLEM

SEQUEL TO EPIDEMIC

QUESTION OP HELP

A FAR-REACHING PRINCIPLE.

,f A large representative Labour deputaa tion interviewed the Minister of Internal „ Affairs (the Hon. G. W. Russell) yestere day on the question of adequate help for y sufferers by the recent epidemic. MUCH DELAY, i .Mr.- P. Fraser, M.P., said that tlie a size of the deputation was an indication of the .keen interest taken by Labour in the matter of proper provision for those 1 who ivere afflicted by the epidemic. - Much delay had occurred in the granting i of assistance to widows. Those who had , called at the institution in Tinakori-road had been put through an unnecefsarily rigorous questioning. During the session * Ministers had said there would be no ' taint of charity in the granting of help by the State. Mr. Fraser remarked thnt j he did not believe the .Wellington I-ios- * pital Board was administering the fund ' in accordance with the spirit and letter ' of the promise. The same old' methods. 6 of charitable aid—amounting iv some 1 cases almost to an inquisition—had been J used. It was felt in Labour circles that i no indication of charity should come into f this' matter.. . i . s PROMISE—AND PERFORMANCE. ■Mr. M. J. Reardon (President of the s Wellington Trades and Labour Council) t said that after the previous conference it f was felt that a new era%as dawning. It 1 was believed that the State was at last about to recognise its . duty to widows c and children. However, the performe ance did not fulfil the promise. There had s been a definite promise that the Educa- " tion Department would administer part of * the work. Souk of. the applicants to that Department had been subjected to B an. absurd, severe questioning, and-had 1 heard nothing more of the matter. They | had .been left without assistance. ' Mr. Russell remarked that this complaint concerned' the Minister of Educal tion. J Mr. Reardon, referring to the promise * of temporary relief, said he understood 5 that provision was to be made for necessitous cases. ; ' Mr. Russell explained that the Minister of Education had a general responsibility 9 in regard to certain orphans under the 1 Infants' Life Protection Act. But in 5 regard to the epidemic the Minister of 5 Education had special powers to grant j relief for orphans. Mr. Fraser said that it seemed that ! Messrs. Russell and Hanan had different '. views of the matter.. ' r Mr. Reardon said that the Education Department had apparently pigeon-holed j the whole matter. .In certain circumstances where it was felt that immediate > help was necessary, application had been 3 first made to the' 'Education Board's : home in Tinakori-road and then to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's . office in' Marion,, strfet. Relief-was given from the board's office in the ordinary j way of charitable aid. Mr. Russell said that no instruction had j been issued by _ys Department to sanction such prccedur*fe \ ■'; ?■ Mr. Reardon replied that the wish of r Labour was to obtain a basis of help > which would not savour of pauperism. s Men and women present were willing to ' assist on committees or otherwise to . prevent imposition, but a protest had to be recorded against the present adminis- '. tration of relief. ,It was desired to have '•- ,th<j necessary 'socHiK-refofm -embtrfed in ' legislation. ■ '•' : THE CHARITY METHOD."' > Mrs. Aitken (a member of the Hospital s and Charitable Aid Board) said that the 1 board had not acted in accordance with ' promises made by Ministers. He did ■ not think that the board had a right to ' question widowed women who had young children and were thus not able to go out to work. The women's place was in the home. These mothers now received a mere pittance. The board needed- fuller 1 instructions'in regard to granting proper ' 'relief on the merits of the cases. The speaker believed that all widows should be treated alike in a manner fair to themselves and their children. It was a shame that these women should -be humiliated with searching questions, which were repeated needlessly at intervals. The ■ Act, which (permitted this treatment was wrong.' 'Widowed mothers were asked by the board whether they would not be'willing, to. allow .their children to go -.into''an institution or licensed home, while the mothers went out towork. Mr. Katmi Pukeroa (an OTganiser for the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union) said he had seen much distress throughout the Hawkes Bay district. There were many widows and fatherless .children. MINISTER'S REPLY. The(.Minister replied that the relief for Natives would be administered by the Native, Department and the Education Department.' He was sorry to see a statement by Mr. Reardon published the other day to the effect that •he had broken faith. He challenged this; statement. This policy which he had originally laid down had been carried out, so far as he was concerned. He regretted that, in some instances,''apparently, hospital administration had been at fault. He was surprised that the. Wellington board was issuing coupons in some cases. The clear interest of the Government was to issue cash. He would communicate at once with the Wellington board, and direct that help should be given in money, not in coupons or orders. If necessary he would communicate similarly with other boards. So far complaints had not come from other districts. THE MATTER OF PRINCIPLE. .The Minister said he realised that the granting of 10s 6d for each child could not stop i with tlie. epidemic; the basis must be broadened to take in other cases. Tlie primary object was to provide proper food; clothing, and shelter for children. He regretted that there should have been any lack of clearness of understanding of the functions of the \ Health and Education Departments. In the case of widows, he could not recognise at present the special principle of' a uniform universal pension. The cases must be taken on their1 merits, for the circumstances varied. The Government . wanted to give.discriminating assistance; the wish was to give the best consideration to necessitous cases. He did not favour certain proposals of a pension of ' 25e a week for a widow and 10s 5d for : an only child, thus relieving a woman : of the need of working. He had not power to establish such a principle. The ' question of such pensions must be one for legislation—a question for the people ' at the next election. The people should ' be pleased that a big forward move had ' been made. ' : QUESTION OF TACTICS. The Labour Party had not a monopoly of sympathy, continued Mr. Russell. i Mr. John Read :We have not claim- i ■ed it. .._■"... ] Mr. Fraser interjected that some days . it looked as if the Labour. Party had such a monopoly. The Minister said it seemed: that the epidemic was being used for advertising ( purposes. He' defended the National < Government, which, he declared, had- 1 stated that money was to be no object 1 in giving fair relief to sufferers from the < epidemic, The Government had spent i anything from £150,000 to £200,000. 1

He referred to the provision of cheap medicine, the commandeering of fish and citrus fruits, and other actions of the Government, which, he claimed, had exerted itself to give all practicable reasonable help.' He would not allow anyone to say that the Government had been unmindful of its duty. More had been done by the National Government than by any previous Government in this social help. The country was committed now to a policy of greater generosity than had'ever been seen before, and no Parliament could go back On what had been done. SOCIAL WELFARE. Regarding, the administration of help, the Minister said he. had only one set of machinery at present, the hospital boards (between thirty and forty). The boards had been instructed to administer the relief sympathetically and generously. Tlie whole of the money was paid by the Government; not a penny of it. was charged upon local rates. It was not necessary to set up additional expensive .machinery. The hospital boards were, empowered to set up special social welfare committees to deal with the epidemic cases, so that all elements of charitable aid could be avoided. The Minister said be -had Iven'assured' by Mr: Traeb'-idste and the Chairman of the Ho-pitn] Board that the beneficiaries under the epidemic h.rl exnre=sed their satisfaction, with t'-. method of administration. In the case of widowers with young children the Government allowed up to 25s a week for the employment of a housekeeper in the home, but in such a case ho pension' was payable for children. Free provision was made in St. Helens Homes for maternity cases (women whose husbands died in the epidemic). If it was not practicable to bring a woman to a St. Helens Home, other assistance Was given. . Mr. Fraser explained that the deputation, had not come to blame the Health Department, but to arrive, at a proper understanding of the position. Mr. Reardon said that he had not intended to reflect on Mr. Russell personally in any previous statement.