MATERNITY BENEFITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15374, 8 August 1913, Page 7

MATERNITY BENEFITS.

HUSBANDS' POCKET MONEY. FOR DRINK AND BETTING. J . CHILDREN FED ON TEA. DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. Sydney Sun Cable.—Copyright. ' London, August 6. In an address, before the Infantile Mortality Congress yesterday, Dr. Barbara Sutherland (Glasgow), speaking of the abuse of the maternity benefits under the National Insurance scheme, said that in numerous cases the husband spent the entire 30s in drink. In anticipation of the benefit, men often stopped work and refused to work when offered it. In some instances they used the money for the payment of betting transactions and the purchase of gramaphones. Frequently the money was paid to the wife . and was afterwards " deducted from her household expenses. The Countess of Aberdeen said that it was necessary to teach Irish children in the hospitals to like milk. They hardly knew the taste of it; the teapot stewing before the hearth had too long provided drink for them. AMENDMENTS TO THE ACT. LABOUR OBJECTIONS. (Received August 7, 11.25 r p.m.) . ■ ■ London, August 7. >: The House of Commons discussed last night the Grand Committee's amendments to the National Insurance Act Amendment Bill. The Government left the matter an open question! This led to great confusion in the division lobbies. The Grand Committee's resolution proposed to give the benefit solely to the, mother. The Labour Party considered this was an insult to 99 out, of every 100 husbands. : ;. The Grand Committee rejected an amendment allowing a husband's receipt to suffice, but on the report stage this amendment was carried by 186 votes to 177, thus practically restoring the original Act. i Many Nationalists v- by mistake walked into the wrong lobby. ..'." PROVISIONS OF THE ' ACT. Under the National Insurance Act, a sum of 30s is paid in respect of a confinement to a woman who is the wife of an insured person, or ■to a woman who is not the wife of an insured person, but is herself insured. 'If she is' married, and goes on working after her marriage, at each confinement she gets sickness or disablement benefit as well as maternity benefit, whether her husband is : insured or not. A period of 26 weeks must have' elapsed since entry into insurance, aiad at least 26 weekly contributions must have been paid before the insured person becomes entitled to the benefit; in the case of a voluntary, contributor /? the require* ment is a, period of 52 weeks,y and the payment of 52 contributions.