FUTILE DEBATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23115, 13 August 1938, Page 17

FUTILE DEBATE

DAY IN THE HOUSE DISCUSSION ON REPORT MEMBERS CHOOSE TO TALK •BUSINESS NEXT TUESDAY, [by telegbaph—special bepobter! WELLINGTON, Friday Almost the whole of to-day s of the House of Representatives was occupied by a comparatively pointless discussion on the report of the committee which recently investigated the "Government's social security proposals. The arguments used bv members followed very closely the lines of those which were put forward by the few speakers who opened the debate last night, but the introduction of the Social Security Bill itself early in the afternoon rendered the day's oratory, based as it was on incomplete data,rather useless. : The suggestion that time would be wasted in further discussion of the report was made by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton; when he spoke on the introduction of the bill. The Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, replied that it rested entirely with members, who were welcome to speak or not as they chose. If they did not wish to talk any further the discussion would automatically come to an eil£ l- . -Mh,', x No inclination to curtail tlj&|uebate was shown by members, however, and although there was legislation ready to be dealt with if necessary they continued discussing social security until the House rose at 5.15 p.m. for the week-end recess. . The second reading of the Social Security Bill will be commenced next Tuesday nighty VETERANS AND MINERS MAORI AND AFRICAN WARS ECONOMIC PENSIONS PROMISE fBY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER! WELLINGTON, Friday War veterans and miners are among' the classes covered by the Social Security Bill. For Maori War veterans, the rate of benefit is £1 10s a week. Every man who served in the Maori War jmd received a medal will be entitled to a benefit if otherwise qualified. An applicant must have resided in New Zealand for 10 years immediately prior to his application. Every mail who served m a .New Zealand contingent in the South African War may qualify for a benefit. It takes the form of an allowance additional to the age benefit of 5s a week, as long as. his total income is not in excess of £2 10s a week. _ 'The Minister has advised that provision will be made in another bill to be introduced this session for economic pensions to war pensioners to. be restored to tho»-£ull rate of 30s a week, with provision for 20s for wives "and 10s for dependant children. The proposed legislation will provide for war veterans' allowances to be increased to 25s a week for each veteran, plus 15s for his wife and 5s for each dependant child. Power will be given to the War Pensions Board to increase the allowance in special circumstances to 30s for the veteran and 20s for his wife. . The rates of benefit ..provided in the bill for miners who qualified are:—For an unmarried man, £1 10s_; for a married man and wife, £2, with 10s additional for each child, reaching a maximum benefit at £4 10s a week. Minerswidows will receive 17s 6d. Miners who have contracted miners' phthisis, and have thereby become permanently and seriously incapacitated, or have contracted an occupational disease and are permanently and totally incapacitated for work will qualify for the miners' benefit. The residential qualification is that they must have been employed in New Zealand as miners for not less than two and a-half years, and have resided in New Zealand for at least five years immediately prior to the date of application. Funeral expenses on the death of ai person who has received a miners' bene* fit may be paid by- the commission. \ THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES FEARS FOR FUTURE , [by telegbaph—special bepobter! WELLINGTON, Friday "The Government's social security proposals will be the death knell of the friendly societies," said Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition—Eiccarton) during the debate in the House of. Representatives on the report of, the Parliamentary Committee which investigated the proposals. The friendly societies, said Mr. Kyle, were very disturbed because they feared that they were to be absorbed by the"' State scheme. These societies were already giving benefits far in excess of those proposed by the Government and at much less cost. Most of the people who contributed to the friendly, societies would have to contribute to the State scheme as well and receive nothing in return.