WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22831, 16 March 1936, Page 10

WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE

PROVISION FOR ALL THE GOVERNMENT’S IDEALS STATEMENT BY MINISTER (Special to Dailt Times) WELLINGTON. March 15. “This Government is not going to do anything to endanger the economic or financial position of the country, but, with the resources at its disposal, it will do everything it can to improve the lot of the people,” said the Minister of Health. Mr P. Fraser, when opening the new ward and addition to the Nurses’ Home at the Auckland Infirmary. The gathering was attended by the Auckland members of Parliament, representatives of local bodies and members of the public. Welcoming the Minister, Mr W. Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, referred to the proposal for national health insurance and superannuation. and said the sooner the Government introduced a scheme to lift that t nightmare from old age the better for the community. “ I am not sure that we shall always tie ourselves down to these particular forms of institution,” said the Minister in reply. “ I hope some day we shall retrace our steps in regard to married aged people and endeavour to provide something more approximating home life. I know everything cannot be accomplished in a day or a year or a series of years, but we can work to a plan.” Concerning Auckland’s needs for hospital accommodation, continued the Minister, unfortunately those needs were not confined to Auckland, because in a growing country the needs of the population overtook the capacity of the institutions. The same thing was seen in the case of other establishments, such as mental hospitals and schools. There was an occasion in 1890 when the people expressed the conclusion that there might be something more in life for them than care and toil and moil, with no opportunity to make provision for later years. As a result of that decision they saw on the Statute Book legislation placing it in the social vanguard of nations. People came to the Dominion to study what was done to improve the lot of the people in this great, though comparatively small, country. That period terminated unfortunately, continued Mr Fraser, but once more the country had declared in an unmistakable fashion that the system which had permitted a great amount of wealth and production on one hand and the depletion of resources on the other hand—the paradox of poverty amid plenty—had to go. The only question was how quickly it could be transformed. The Government had been elected not only to office but to power, and it was fitting on that occasion that the minds of those present should turn to the welfare of the people. An economic programme had no justification unless it was aimed to ensure the people’s economic and social life. '

The Government was in great earnestness about these matters for the reason that the whole impulse behind the Labour Party was that everyone in the community should be amply provided for, that all who could give service were expected to give tflat service—must give it—but that those who were not able to do so should be provided for fairly and equitably. That was the main reason for the present Government being in existence, for the majority of the people had come round to that view. The Government, with resources at its disposal, would leave no stone unturned to fulfil those ideals. After declaring the new additions open the Minister was conducted on a tour of inspection.