RESOLUTION WITHOUT WEIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 23292, 14 June 1939, Page 13

RESOLUTION WITHOUT WEIGHT

TE AWAMUTU WOMEN AND MATERNITY BENEFITS

MEETING COMPLETELY IGNORANT OF ACT’S TERMS

[Pee United Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, Juno 13

Charges that the promoters were animated by political bias and that they admitted an almost complete lack of Knowledge of the subject were made by the Minister of Health (Hon. P. Eraser) in a reply which he made this evening to statements made at the meeting at To Awarautu, Where the maternity benefits under the social security legislation were discussed. “ Tiie promoters of this meeting were obviously animated by political motives,” Mr Fraser said, “ and it was ridiculous to claim they were representative of the women of the Te Awamutu district. Secondly, two members of the British Medical Association of the highest professional standing practising in To Awamutu have signed the maternity benefit contract, i believe there Are two other doctors there who have not done so. Thirdly, my information about this particular meeting is that it was completely farcical. The promoters of the meeting were asked wliether they had ever seen or read the' Social Security Act,, the regulations ' under the Act dealing with maternity benefits, or the contracts under 'which the medical men operate under the Act. The .answer in each case was, ‘ No, we. have no knowledge whatever of the Act, the regulations, or the contracts.’

“ Further,” the Minister said, “when asked by a member of the audience in what way would the operation of the maternity benefits injure the medical profession in the slightest degree, one of the promoters of the meeting completely collapsed in confession of a hopeless lack of knowledge of the subject. The whole proceedings were farcical. The meeting was obviously engineered for the purpose of attacking the Government, and the promoters were obviously quite ignorant of the matters for the discussion of which the meeting was called. The resolution apparently passed at the meeting will receive the consideration to which it ■ is- entitled; and that is none whatever.”