QUESTION OF SACRIFICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 August 1941, Page 4

QUESTION OF SACRIFICE

UNFIT SINGLE MEN [From Our Own Parhamenlarv Reporter] Wellington, This Day The responsibilities of the married man to be called up for military service in comparison to fhose of the single man medically unfit for service was emphasised in the House of Representatives last night by Mr W. J. Broadfoot (National. Waitomo) when speaking in the second reading debate of the Finance Bill. He quoted the example of two men working together. The single man received £243 a year and the mairied man £2BB. Both had to pay the social security and national security taxes in addition to ordinary taxation, but in the case under review the married man had to pay £B4 a year rent and £lO a year for fuel and was left with only £3 2s 6d a week for a family of three to live on Mr Broadfoot said that when the married man went on service his wife and child would receive only £3 13s a week to cover rent, clothes and all incidental expenses. The single man, unfit for service, continued to draw his wages and ran no risk of losing his life. “Surely there is no quality of sacrifice between these two men” he declared. The single, unfit man left in New Zea land should have to bear some of the burden to make the sacrifice equal in some way. “This is a problem calling for a solution by the Government” he added.