SOCIAL SERVICES

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1931, Page 10

SOCIAL SERVICES

COST TO DOMINION WELLINGTON, October 28. That the Dominion’s social services, including education, are costing £6,750,000, or . one-third of the total receipts from taxation, was a point made by the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Masters when he was urged by the Workers’ Educational Association to maintain the State grants to that organisation. The Minister was appreciative of the work done in connection with adult education, but he spoke of the general financial position and the burden of social services. A number of these services, he said, were started when times were prosperous, and they grew' and grew, until a position had been reached which, even if times continued prosperous, warranted very close consideration, because of the enormous amount of money spent upon them. ■ Mr. Masters supported his points by giving the deputation the full details of the rising cost of social services paid for out of money raised from taxation: — SOCIAL SERVICES

Service. 1918 Total cost. 1930. Total cost. Cost per head of population. Maternity claims 17.809 42,984 Health (Including Dental Hygiene from 1920). 301.851 924,002 12s 9d Plunket Society grants. .. 4,391 26,274 •Mental Hospital Department. 179,411 307,010 4s 2d Education 1,811,563 4,126,885 55s lOd Child welfare 64.575 153,863 2s Id Pensions 1,279.930 2,802.117 39s 6d • The net cost per mental patient per annum rose from £38 9/In 1918 to 11/in 1930. Included in pensions are 1918 1930 War Pensions £ 515,384 £ 1,204,4zz Old-age pensions 612,463 1,067,603 Widows’ pensions 57,931 322,886 Miners’ pensions 8,572 49,198 Blind pensions 1,036 14,716 Family allowance 37,515 60,876