PACE INCREASED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23137, 8 September 1938, Page 15

PACE INCREASED

SOCIAL SECURITY BILL THE FIRST LATE SITTING discussion in committee new government measure [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Wednesday The passage of the Social Security gjll was accelerated in tho House of Representatives to-day, when urgency was taken for the committee stages. This course was taken by tho Government, not with the idea of completing the committee stages in one sitting, but merely in order that tho House might sit beyond the usual hour so that further progress could bo made. The Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, hopes to have tl:o committee stages completed to-morrow.

At the start of tho sitting another item of the Government's, remaining legislative programme made its appearance. This was the Statutes Amendment Bill, a measure containing a wide variety of clauses. The main provisions concern amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act, clarification of the position with regard to paid holidays in factories, the extension for a further year of the Fair Rents Act and the appointment of women police.

The committee stages of the Social Security Bill -were resumed early in the afternoon and for over an hour the House discussed in detail the clause dealing with unemployment benefits. The Opposition criticised the Government with having niado inadequate provision for unemployment, but after a lengthy debate the closure was moved by tlio Prime Minister and was carried on a division. Numerous clauses were allowed to pass without discussion, but during the evening sitting another lengthy discussion developed on the special provisions in the bill with regard to -war pensioners.

Here again the Opposition contended that a highly-deserving class of people was being overlooked, but the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, replied that the interests of war pensionex-s would be adequately safeguarded in a Finance Bill to be introduced probably to-morrow.

There was also considerable discussion on the section of the bill dealing with medical services and at a late hour the House was still sitting.

MOTOR INSURANCE THIRD PARTY RISKS REMOVING AN ANOMALY THE LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] ' WELLINGTON, "Wednesday An anomaly in the law with regard to motor accident insurance is removed by a clause in the Statutes Amendment, Bill which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day.. The clause deals specifically with the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act. The object of the clause is to provide, that insurance under the principal Act will include indemnity against claims for contribution. The Attorney-General, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, explained that under the third party risks legislation the whole liability for damage done to an innocent person by the joint negligence of two guilty parties fell upon the particular pari# who was sued and an insurance company liable for that particular wrong-doer had to pay accordingly. The Law Reform Act, which "applied to wrongs generally and not only to case's of motor collisions, enabled the person primarily liable to secure a contribution from the other wrong-doer, and it had been found that in motor accident cases such a contribution was not by the third party risks. The new clause secures that the whole liability is again covered by the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act irrespective of the question of contributions between two wrong-doers. <

NATIONAL PROVIDENT

FRIENDLY SOCIETY FUNDS POSITION UNDISTURBED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday An assurance that the Social Security Bill would not reduce the benefits already payable to persons who were contributors to the National Provident Fund or to funds established by friendly societies was given by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, during the committee stages of the bill in the House of Representatives to-night. The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, said it had been stated that /the bill would not affect certain superannuation funds, such as / those of the National Provident Fund and certain friendly societies. He would like to know what effect the operation of the bill would havo on the National Provident Fund, for instance. " This bill Will not reduce the benefits of those who are contributors to the National Provident Fund," Mr. Nash replied. "While there may be some who will prefer the benefits to bo gained by other means, I think those in the bill are at least as good as anything else available. The bill is certainly likely to afFect new membership of the National Provident Fund, because nothing'else that can bo obtained is equal to the benefits under the bill.' Mr. Hamilton: People generally tako what gives tlie'm the best results.^ " Well, there is nothing that will return benefits equal to thoso in the bill, the Minister replied.