WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 24, 28 July 1922, Page 4

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

'AMENDING, BILL IN HOUSE OF] REPRESENTATIVES

Once again last night the Bouse of Representatives had before it Mr. E. J. Howard's Workers' Compensation. Act Amendment Bill, which seeks to remove what the Labour Party regards as anomalies in the present Act. The second clause gives the Court the right to disregard in certain cases the proportions set out "in the second schedule of the Act. For instance, the Act provides for certain compensation for the loss of one eye, but if the worker has but one eye and loses its sight, Mr. Howard claimed that.it was manifestly unfair that his injury should not be regarded as a total loss of sight. Another clause defines the meaning of a domestic servant, and deals with the difficulty of common employment, and a third provides that.broken or damaged appliances shall be preserved until it is ascertained'whether action for damages is to be brought in respect to the. accident. Mr. Howard made it quite clear that the Labour Party would not be satisfied even "if the principal Act were amended in the direction he proposed. Labour would never be satisfied until an injured worker received full wages from the time of his injury instead of having-them cut down by half. Nothing under his Bill would cause an increase in premiums. ) Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland ..art) said thaf with falling wages an amendment of the Act was imperative in the interests of the workers. He thought that the principle of the Act wa_s altogether wrong,' because compensation was placed upon earnings.' Compensation in case of death should be uniform. He intimated that Labour would press many amendments to fcho law when the Workers' Compensation Bill—the consolidating measure introduced by the Government —was before the House. Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) said that the amendment' providing for full wages from the time of injury was humanitarian, and should receive the support of all sides of the House.-, j The Leader of the Opposition sug- j gested that the debate should not be elaborated, but the Bill should be referred at once to the Labour Bills Committee, and Mr. Howard could fight there for the inclusion of all the daises, j There were certain, clauses in Mr. Howard's Bill which no member of the House could oppose.^ Members could vote for these ; separately, whereas* they might not be prepared to swallow. the* Bill as a whole. ' i Mr. P. Fraaer (Wellington Central) stated that the suggestion would be followed by Mr. Howard after a reasonable discussion. He appealed to the Minister of Labour to adopt all the amendments, and so do away with the tremendous hardships which existed to-day. , The matter should be considered frcjn a human point of view, and not from the legal point. Mr. H.. Poland (Ohinemuri) said that ! unless workers' compensation was placed upon a liberal scale, "'they must not expect industrial contentment. ' New , Zealand once led the world in such matters, but had now dropped a long way behind. Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) stated that the day must come when full wages would be paid during the time an injured worker was absent from his duties. The Bill was read a second time, and on Mr. Howard's motion it was referred, to the Labour Bills Committee.