SOCIAL SECURITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1943, Page 2

SOCIAL SECURITY

[TO THE EDITOR.] Sir, —One cannot' help but notice in the election speeches of the present Government members and prospective members how the social security question is being dragged round, boosted and spouted about — they seem to be able to speak about nothing else. They all claim to have had a finger in the pie in putting it on the Statute Book, but it’s not their invention at all They have tried to improve it, because their particular followers would benefit mostly by it, but in my opinion it has taken charge of them and they haven’t the brains to see it. They are proud of the fact that other countries look up to and point to New Zealand’s social legislation, but other countries do not know what it costs, and what is more important, what it is going to cost to maintain such a standard. We were given to understand that the social security account was to be selfsupporting and the levies were made accordingly, but at the close of the year we hear this announcement by the Prime Minister (in the absence of the Minister of Finance): “After transferring three million eight hundred thousand pounds from the Consolidated Fund the social security account just about balances,” or words to that effect. People do not realise that the “consolidated fund” is their pockets and mine, and they swallow it without a gulp.—Yours, gtc, W. T. OGILVIE. Gladstone, 31/8/43.