VARIANCE NOTED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19601, 5 April 1938, Page 5

VARIANCE NOTED

ADVICE OF DOCTORS ESSENTIALS OMITTED POLITICO-SOCIAL IDEAL BASIS OF ENTHUSIASM (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. "The proposals for national health insurance put before the public by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, on Saturday evening are remarkably at variance with the suggestions offered by the medical profession at the request of the Government, both to its appointed investigation committee and to the members of the Cabinet," said the president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, Dr. P. S. Jamieson, on an interview. Dr. Jamieson is also the chairman of the national health insurance committee of the association.

"The profession," he continued," has consistently advocated that whatever measures were undertaken should be directed toward '. assisting the people to< meet their needs in' regard to medical service where these needs press most heavily, but the Prime Minister's proposal of a free general practitioner service provides the one item of medical service to which the people now have most ready access. It omits the very things—in particular laboratory and specialist services—which are more difficult to obtain and are essential for the accuracy of diagnosis necessary for the efficiency of the general practitioner's services.

"The principle of offering assistance to those who cannot provide fully for themselves has been adopted in the proposal relating to the superannuation pensions scheme and it is difficult to see why the same principle has been departed from in the proposal for national health insurance.

"It would appear in this respect that the Government's proposals are based on enthusiasm for the politicosocial ideal, rather than on the real health requirements of the people of this country." CIVIL SERVICE CONCERN • EXISTING SCHEME INCIDENCE OP LEVY (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. Whether civil servants will be required to pay the proposed social service tax of Is in the £ on wages in addition to the present contributions for superannuation is a question agitating the minds of many Government employees. The Government neither consulted the various organisations of Government employees, nor gave any of them any information on its proposals prior to its announcement of the social service scheme.

Government servants pay a minimum of 5 per cent on wages toward superannuation, it being stated that 90 per cent of those employed in Auckland are subject to the minimum rate. While officials of the organisations are reluctant to comment ort the proposals at the present stage, members made no secret of the fact that they were apprehensive at the probability of having to contribute toward two pension schemes, only one of which they would enjoy. Mr. J. Webster, the chairman of the Auckland branch of the Public Service Association, pointed out that he had no information giving details of the proposals. If it were considered necessary to submit evidence or make representations to the Parliamentary committee set up to hear the evidence regarding the scheme, he presumed that the various associations representative of the railway employees, post and telegraph employees, school teachers, and employees of other Government departments would combine to take the action necessary.

"Our organisation is very sympathetic toward the establishment of the scheme proposed by the Government," said Mr. S. Mather, the secretary of the Auckland branch of the Post and Telegraph Employees' Association. "I take it that we will do everything in our power to assist. I do not anticipate that the civil servants will be required to contribute in full toward the social service levy as well as to the superannuation fund."

EXTRA MINERS' PENSION

FINANCE PROPOSALS RETAINING REGISTRATION (Per Press Association.) •WELLINGTON, this day. The Government's proposals for the establishment of a national health and superannuation service were submitted this morning to the Parliamentary committee for examination. The proposals have already been outlined by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hbn. M. J. Savage, but the intention in respect to miners is amplified as follows: "That superannuation at the rate of 30s weekly be paid to miners suffering from miners' phthisis, with a supplementary benefit of 10s for his wife and 10s for each dependent child up to the age of 16 years; to supersede the present miners' pension of 25s a week." Under the heading of finance it is proposed that the necessary funds should be provided by:—

(a) A social security contribution of Is in the £ on wages and other income of all persons. (bl The continuance of the present registration fee of £1 per annum for malej over 20 years bf age. (c) A subsidy from the consolidated fund.