NEW PENSIONERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 82, 5 March 1938, Page 11

NEW PENSIONERS.

BILL COVERS 3700. COST £220,000 A YEAR. Pei’ Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 4. Moving the second reading of the Pensions Amendment Bill in Parliament, the Minister of Pensions (Hon. W. E. Parry) said the Bill made provision for about 3700 new pensioners who previously had been dependent on charity. 'The total cost to the State would be about £220,000 per annum. The whole point was whether they should be treated decently at the front door or go to the back door for charity. Mr R. A. Wright said that, while supporting the Bill, he regretted the Minister had not considered the position of the women of New Zealand between 50 and 60 years of age. At present a pension was granted a woman otherwise qualified to receive it at the age of 60. There were scores of women between 50 and 60 who were in difficulties. They were too old for domestic or factory work and were left a charge on the community. “What a remarkable thing it is to

hear a former Minister of the Crown talking about what should be in this Hill,” said the Prime Minister (Et. Hon. M. J. Savage), who followed Mr Wright. The Minister had gone miles ahead of anything lie had ever heard Mr Wright suggest. Frankly lie agreed with Mr Wright, but it was remarkable that a former Minister had not seen the light until now. Mr Wright: We did not have the money. Mr Savage: What a remarkable thing it is. This is only filling in the gap. We intend something better for the old people of this country, probably something better than the honourable gentleman imagines. Mr Wright: When will it come? Mr Savage: Probably during the life of this Parliament. Mr Savage said he did not intend to make a speech on the Bill, but when he heard the honourable gentleman he felt he would burst if he did not speak. AN ADVANCED SYSTEM. ' The Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) said the remarks of the Prime Minister would give the impression that nothing had been done in regard to pensions before the Labour Government came into office, but it was probably true that New Zealand had the most advanced pensions system in the world when the Government took office. In every year that Parliament met consideration had been given to social services, and sometimes there had been a storm when social services had been reduced, but they had always been restored. The present Bill would close the doors to many people. Mr Parry u We don’t want New Zealand made a dumping ground. Mr Hamilton : It is peculiar the few that you legislate for- —special privileges for a special few. Mr Parry: We are legislating for the citizens of New Zealand now and not those who might come in. Mr Hamilton queried the wisdom of legislating for a certain section and closing the door for the next man to come in “as soon as the Bill is passed.” He added that anydiie who came into the country had to wait 20 years for a pension. If he came in to-day he can get it in ten. i THE QUALIFYING PERIOD. The Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash) said it was the most simple Bill that had been before the House in the last three years. Those people who came to New Zealand before 1918 got the pension to-day, but those who came between 1918 and 1928 were not getting it as soon. As they qualified those who came here after 1928 would get it. The Government was taking care of those who were here now. There were some, thousands of people who came to New Zealand between 1918 and 1928. Seventy thousand were brought here in a period of five years, but tha.t 70,000 increased the difficulties of the then Government and added to the difficulties of the present Government in overcoming the difficulties of the older people. People came here at the invitation of the last Government under a misrepresentation, declared Mr Nash. They were told they would get £7 a week and the Government would find homes for them. That was done by the last Government of which the

Leader of the Opposition was a memi her. Mr S. G. Holland: Hid the last Government tell them they would get £7 a week ? Mr Nash: Yes. They quoted award rates. It was the most lying, malicious propaganda that had ever gone out of this country. It was issued by the Immigration Department. You can see the pamphlets. Mr Nash said that these people came in large numbers and were unemployed as soon ias they came in. Some provision should be made for those who came out here. Comparatively few had come out in the last ten years, and very few indeed in the last five. They should not be left as a charge on hospital boards. Mr W. A. Bodkin said the pensions history of this country had always been one of progress. There had not been a Government which came into office which had not made some increases in pensions. He intimated that members on his side of the House would support the Bill and he thought it would meet with the approval of the people generally throughout the country. Hon. Mr Parry, in reply, thanked members of the House for their reception of the Bill, which was read the second time.

tho Government was continued in the House of Representatives this afternoon.

Mr J. Hargcst, referring to tlie sub- . jeet of royalties on petroleum, said the Government proposed to confiscate the underground rights of individual landowners. ft was socialisation pure and simple and could not be described as rationalisation, as had been suggested by Government speakers. The Minister of Mines (Hon. P. C. Webb) said he had never listened to a more insincere debato than the arguments used by the Opposition during the present discussion. Suggestions had been made that there might be a secret understanding between the Maoris and the Government in connection with compensation if oil were discovered on Maori lands, but ho could assure the House that no such understanding had ever existed. Ho thought it ill became members of the Opposition to twit the Government that it had broken agreements under the Treaty of Waitangi. The Government had been advised by the Crown Law Office that the provisions of the Bill did not conflict with the Treaty of Waitangi. The reception of the Bill by the Press of the Dominion had been most refreshing, and even the most conservative of them had given the cardinal principles of the Bill their support. Members of the Opposition knew that this Bill had been passed seven or eight years too late,. Had it been passed earlier we might have had a prosperous oil industry operating in the Dominion today. The inspiration for 'the Bill came from the very people who had lost thousands of pounds in prospecting for oil. It enabled them to raise the necessary capital to conduct prospecting under efficient conditions. He instanced one company whose shares had dropped to sixpence before the passing of the Act, but after it became law shares had appreciated in value to over seven shillings. No company would have gone on with prospecting under the previous antiquated laws. “I believe,” said Mr Webb in conclusion, “that tho future is bright as far as getting oil is concerned. Efforts will be made on a scale surpassing anything done in the past in the way of searching for oil. The expenditure will be great and the technical knowledge of big companies will he available.” The motion to refer the Mines Statement to the Government was passed without division.