"THE ACID TEST"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 16, 19 July 1923, Page 10

"THE ACID TEST"

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

PROPOSAL TO INCREASE LIMIT

"This is the acid test which I apply annually to members of Parliament to Bhow their sympathy with the workers," remarked Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchijich South) when moving the second reading of his Workers' Compensation

Amendment Bill in the .House of Representatives last night. 'The Bill, which was-described by Mr/Howard as a "mod-est-Jittle Biil,"'has been.hearcFof in Parliament before, and mainly provides for the raising of the.limit of:compensation for death or total disablement'from £750 to £1000. "•■.•■. -„ „:;■-'■ .'

Mr. Howard stated that at last General Election the Reform Party claimed,that the.Government had raised the amount of compensation, from £750 to £1000 for total disablement or death. That was a mistake, as the limit was still 28756. He now gave the House the opportunity of raising it to £1000. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. T. M.-.-Wilford), who supported the second reading "of the Bill, thought it absurd that the mfedical and surgical expenses in- regard to an injury should be limited to.'£l under the 'Act. The 'amount ought, at any rate, to b6 reasonable. The safeguarding of the worker against the fears of .unemployment and incapacity through accident or sickness would go a Jong way towards producing contentment. Mr. Howard" had been very modest, he thought,"in limiting the ratio of pay during sickness or disablement to 75 per cent.'. '

ft" supporting the Bill, Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) said that the Workers" Compensation Act was one of the;very, few measures on the Statute Bottk that gave the workers economic security. The main principle of the amendments proposed .was that' the right 'to ■"receive the maximum pension should be established irrespective of the amount of learnings' received by the worker. The, Minister of Labour (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) said that Mr. Howard had '..made it.clear that nothing.but full wages "and all expenses would-satisfy Mm. It had to be remembered, however, that in SlHis'world they had to be practical, no tmatter how they felt, in their hearts. .To >givgTgfject*;tpHMr. proposals '^woul3. necessitate careful consideration -andithaiiaking.bf'evidence before a Comvmit'tee.'; " Every one interested should Cbe heard. A considerable advance had :Tseen made last year, and they, should alr :ow a few years to elapse before making iihe stride.now suggested. If the Bill, or liany portion; of it, became law this scpfsion the speaker would be very'much astonished. TJfe only portion of the Bill be prepared to;;accept would !be&nft^l^usej;tp make it-compulsory:-for teniployeW-to -insure .workers' against' ac"cident. . .

- "Hope' springs ;eternal in the human tbreast," remarked Mr. H. Poland (Ohine;muri) "but' after listening to the Minis--ter as to the chances of this Bill, one ■would have to have a liberal amount of 'that hope." A man was entitled'to.full „:Wa£;es during sickness. That principle -was upheld by members of Parliament •in their own, cases, and it applied also "fcT'Civil" servants.- He supported the .Bin. :

i--Ttie'-Bill'\7aS''iea& a second -time' and reierred to the labour Bills Committee..