WAR WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 3, 3 July 1943, Page 6

WAR WORK

AGE^BENEiFieiARiES

I. ENCOURAGEMENT: URGED! • Greater cncdurageihent fpr*- recipi-' Sijts of "age'benefits to re-eitgage.'* In industry' during the war. period? was urged by Mr.-W..A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when the first item of the Estimates was under discussion. ■ . . .<'.-■•*.• j i Never1 was tKjere'a'time in'the history'of the', country, 'he- said, - when labour - was •■ more ■* urgently, required, particularly in the, primary industries. The great need ■in peacetime wouJd be to keep our .overseas credits, 4?----1-act, and if; these should be depleted, first by the needs, of «the; war situation, then by sales to" America, it made it more-important than ever .to increase production. -He'suggested that where a man and his wife.were each receiving the age benefit, and the. man ■ went back into employment, the wife should be allowed' to retain her benefit. . ' The Prime. Minister (Mr. Fraser) said the question required careful analysis, fit a man was 65 years-of §ge and entitled to the universal superannuation rhe ■ had some v recompense, as .the payment'this year was £1710s, and nekt year would be^£2o. If men entitled to • universal•-, superannuation went back ip, work,'and harl not applied for the benefit';, the' payments should''be made retrospective. It would be letting them have what they were entitled,to. .<