Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23097, 23 July 1938, Page 15

1935 the national income rose from £2,038,000,000 to £4,926,000,000. "Such an increase," says the report, "could only have been nmrle possible by a relative increase in the production of the country, coupled with the fact that any increase in the rate of taxation was accompanied by redistribution of the national income, which represented no loss whatever to the' community. "We are confident on the evidence of past years that it ifl within the capacity of the Dominion to extend production sufficiently to carry out the scheme, and we believe that it may well be found that it has made a large contribution towards a more rapid development of the country. The committee therefore recommends that the Government's proposals for the financing of the scheme should be adopted." It is recommended that contributions and benefits shall ooir.inenco on April ]. 19.'19. To enable this, it is proposed that n new department of State be set up. to be known as the Social Security Department, to administer the benefits proposed and to undertake the technical supervision of the health services remaining under the Health and Mental Hospitals Departments. It should be created by amalgamating the whole of the Pensions Department with that part of the employment promotion branch of the Labour Department which at present deals with sustenance and other relief. NO MINORITY REPORT

IMPOSSIBLE UNDER RULES DISSENT ONLY IN DEBATE > DISCUSSION POSTPONED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday Surprise was expressed in some quarters to-dav when it was discovered that the report of the special Parliamentary committee which investigated, during the recess, the Government's social security proposals contained no minority report from the three Opposition members who sat on the committee. The report was tabled in the House of Representatives this morning by the chairman of the committee, Mr. A. H. Xordmeyer (Government OamarnL* The Opposition members on the committee were the Hon. J. G. Cobbe (Oroua), Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Riccarton) and Mr. S. G. Holland (Christchurch North). The fact that they have not submitted a minority report does not mean that they have concurred in the committee's adoption of the Government's proposals, but is merely due to the rules of the rfouse governing the reports of select committees. When a committee is appointed by the Government, it is open to any section of the members to present a minority report, but, in the case of a select committee set up by a vote of tho House, it is laid down that a majority report must be accepted as the finding of the committee. Individual members who disagree with the majority finding are entitled to express their opinions when the report is discussed in the House. Normally, the report of a select committee is open for discussion as soon as it is tabled, but on this occasion as soon as Mi'. Nordnicyer had presented the report the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, rose to a point of order, and suggested that the discussion should be post|x>ned until members had had a i chance of studying the report. On his recommendation, Mr. Nordmeyer gave ; notice to move that at a future date j the report should be referred to tho Government for consideration. SUPERANNUATION SCOPE

THE EXTENDED BENEFITS MR. SAVAGE'S STATEMENT [BY TKLKGRAPH BPKCIAL RKPOUTKRI WELLINGTON, Friday No allusion is made in the Parliamentary select committee's report to the extension of State superannuation benefits which was announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, toward the end of last month. The original proposal, as quoted in the report, was that on reaching the age of (50 every person at present otherwise 'qualified for an old-age pension should receive £1 10s a week, the superannuation benefit not to be reduced so long as the income of the superannuitant. if a single person, or the joint income of a married couple (in addition to su'i>crannuation) did not exceed £1 a week. Mr. Savage announced on .Tun? '26 that as a step nearer the goal of increased superannuation a graduation of benefits above a total income of £2OB for a married couple was proposed in certain cases..Two days later he stated: "We set out to make it £2OB, but after hearing evidence we set out to take it to higher reaches—up to £(3 a week; but those on higher incomes will get less from the National Superannuation Fund than those getting £2OB a year."