NO SANTA CLAUS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 118, 15 November 1945, Page 4

NO SANTA CLAUS

SECURITY BENEFITS

DANGER OF ABUSE

"I think it is most important that we should discourage any suggestion that there is any 'fairy godmother' or Santa Claus distribution, or that there is a kind of illimitable pool out of which these .funds can be drawn for meeting the claims of individuals or group's regarding what, they may desire,".said the Hon. W. Grounds (North Auckland) during the second reading debate on the Social Security Amendment Bill in the Legislative Council yesterday. Mr. Grounds urged education and constant watchfulness as the only way of guaranteeing that the scheme was not abused, and cited some directions in which unfair advantage might be taken of the legislation.

New Zealand had set out in the social security legislation to establish a new conception which involved increased public and private responsibility, and that involved also the, establishment of a new mental outlook, said Mr. Grounds. All were conscious of the fact that in an economic sense mankind had just recently emerged from the jungle rules whereby those should take who had the power and those might keep who could. It must be realised that no battle in the economic sense, as well as in the military sense, could be won without considerable effort and without computing the difficulties to be encountered. Funds that would be used were derivable from one source only, and that was the productive effort of the whole of the people. That effort established the volume that would be available for division, and any slackening in any quarter was an injustice to all.

DESIRE TO GRAB

It was possible, said Mr. Grounds, that certain people or groups might desire to grab for themselves the fullest possible share of the funds that were being made available for the community—a desire that was out of harmony with the co-operative approach which it was necessary to establish if the best results were to be secured from the legislation. Examples had been seen where the family allowance had been made an opportunity for sloth on the part of a parent, and he was glad that the Government had incorporated a universal, provision in the Bill, as that might help to overcome some of the delinquencies which were observable when the earlier family allowance arrangements were in. force. They knew, also, of cases where the helpfulness of the State had been made a means of making the invalidity of a recipient chronic, and had thereby encouraged the invalid to avoid his responsibilities of assisting to the fullest extent of his physical capabilities. In the case of the unemployment benefits there was a danger of the recipient becoming too selective in his attitude towards employment. # "With pensions there is the possibility of wasteful dissolution of savings to enable an individual to secure the largest possible allowance under this Act," said Mr. Grounds, who said that he knew of some individuals who were contemplating having an excursion to Great Britain as soon as possible on savings which they had set aside to provide for" themselves in their old age. They proposed now to spend them on a pleasure trip and, having their own home, to collect thereafter from the Government to the fullest extent.

THE NATIONAL CHARACTER

"It will be quite disastrous if idleness and prodigality is encouraged in any way to replace industry and selfreliance, which must continue to be the basis of our national character if we are going: to maintain the position that has been established by New Zealand and by which all that has been done_in this country has been accomplished, he said.

Mr. Grounds said that it was the duty of every citizen to see that nobody was allowed to abuse the funds, which must 'be safeguarded in order to be applied to the purposes for which they were intended. The whole world had been looking forward to a brave new world after the war experiences, but that was possible only with' the fullest co-operation of all the people, both physically and morally. The?. Hon. T. F. Doyle (Bluff), who said that New Zealand was the world's incubator in social security legislation, went on to describe the steps that had been taken in England and Australia to benefit from this country's experience, and the interest displayed by prominent Americans, including Mrs. Roosevelt. There were times, he said, when people had claimed that the State could not conduct business in an efficient manner and could not keep down overhead costs and administration costs. The costs of administering the Social Security Department proved clearly that the State could administer a very large undertaking with great efficiency and could keep costs down to the very lowest extent. The Leader of the Council (Mr. McLagan) said he would agree with Mr. Grounds that idleness needed to be discouraged at all times, but if they were going to preach the benefits of work and the wrongs of idleness they should not preach them to those people who did work, but to those who did not work and who were habitually idle. He agreed that people should not be allowed maliciously to take advantage of the social security funds, but he maintained also that people should not be allowed maliciously to take advantage of any other funds. He felt assured that steps would be taken to see that a person who was unemployed and who refused to undertake work which was available and which he could reasonably be asked to perform would not qualify for the benefit.

"This is not the last stage, but it certainly does mark a noteworthy milestone on the way," said Mr. McLagan, who added that he was very glad the measure had met with so much approval.

CONTROL OF BROADCASTING

The annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party yesterday refused to sponsor a proposal that the present control, by a director, of the broadcasting service should be replaced by a broadcasting commission. The subject was strongly debated when a recommendation for the change was introduced on behalf of the education and publicity committee by Mr. F. L. Combs. The conference endorsed remits that the standard of the broadcasting programme should be improved, and it was decided to ask that additional facilities should be given for discussion of controversial subjects.

WATERSIDERS* DEBATING CLUB. The Wellington Watersiders' Debating Club will hold ils usual weekend programme (Friday, Saturday: and Sunday), at 37 Courtenay PL All workers arc invited to attend. ■= f " — '=