Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1919. MATERNITY BONUSES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1919, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1919. MATERNITY BONUSES.

SOME very important matters were placed before the Government by a deputation from the friendly societies last week. Of two outstanding requests one was that the State should assist the societies in respect of the heavy charge which, it is represented, will be thrown on their funds through the impairment in the health of their members who art returning from ’ military service. A fair test o- the validity of ll.is request ha? been proposed in the suggestion tjhat the aickness rate of members of friendly societies who have been on active service should be compared with that of other members of the societies and that the Government i.horrid bt»r a proportion of the cost of the benefits to be paid to the returned si Idicr members if their rate of sickness should be found to be the higher. The other request was that the maternity bonus to members of friendly societies should be increased to the bonus allowed to subscribers to the National [Provident Fund and that the income qualification of members, under this bonus system, should be “increased considerably’ from £2OO per annum. With regard to this request the Minister in charge of the Provident bund has stated that his department is i “fully alive to the altered circumstanc--1 es” and that a recommendation to " the Cabinet on tho subject is being prepared. The wastage of human life ' during the war has been so heavy and the need of on increase of population has become eo great as to suggest de livability of the whole question of the State endowment of maternity being 1 regarded from a standpoint different from that from which it has previously been, viewed. The fact that the en oouragement of thrift is a p l -eminent purpose in/ the existence of friendly I societies gives thes bodies a special ! claim to recognition on the part of the State, but as the Otago Daily Times points out, when the principle of the payment of maternity bonuses has once been established the restriction of the application of it to certain classes in the community which are not necessarily the classes, that are most certainly inhneed of help cannot be said to be reasonable .or sound. This brings up once again the need for a system . of compulsory National Pensions, stres eetf so often in these columns. H everyone contributed a small sum weekly, .monthly, or yearly as the cast might be, it would be possible with State subsidies now paid in - othei directions, to ’ ensure that every family would be safeguarded against poverty through misfortune of any kind. Prj sent methods are inadequate and inequitable and there is pressing need for reform- To grant maternity bonus es, to friendly societies alone would simply increase the defects of Hit present slip-shod system.