SUPERANNUATION DESIRED

Southland Times, Issue 23408, 15 January 1938, Page 6

SUPERANNUATION DESIRED

OUTCRY FOR BENEFIT IN AUSTRALIA

VISITOR EXPLAINS SOCIAL CONDITIONS

The fact that superannuation for civil servants and working men has not yet been instituted in Australia is causing an outcry in the Commonwealth, where people are becoming aware of the benefit received by New Zealanders, according to Miss Dorothy Tangney, of Claremont, Western Australia. Miss Tangney is a member of the staff of the Teachers’ Training College and is president of both the University Labour Club and the Students’ Guild in West Australia. She has just completed a visit to New Zealand, where she has studied social conditions and the effects on the people of the present legislation. Miss Tangney is particularly interested in social welfare and was able to make interesting comments on the situation in Australia. She is a niece of Mr Maurice Tangney, of Wyndham, and her father is a native of Invercargill. A great majority of the people in her country were anxious for legislation to provide superannuation, said Miss Tangney in an interview last evening. A move in this direction would probably be made next session. In the Commonwealth there was no 40-hour week and if it came into operation in the future it would have to be adopted throughout Australia. For one state to adopt this measure would not be successful because of the competition and rivalry that existed between a state and its neighbour. Miss , Tangney said it would be to a state’s own disadvantage if it worked alone on the 40-hour week scheme, because its trade would suffer. “It is difficult to say whether the 40hour week will be brought into operation in Australia,” said Miss Tangney. “Government there is a curious and confusing system, because the country is dual-controlled. The continent is controlled by the Federal Government, which manages trade and finance matters and affairs of national importance. Each state has its own government, too, which deals with matters of particular importance to that state. Voting for the Federal Government is compulsory and the penalty for failing to do so is a considerable, fine. The Upper House of the Government is anti-Labour and has the right of veto, so that it can throw out any legislation. The advantages of unified control, as exemplified in New Zealand, are obvious.” The people of Australia knew comparatively little about the 40-hour week in New Zealand but were curious as to its effects, said Miss Tangney. All eyes were on the Dominion; some hoped it would prove a success and some hoped otherwise. While in New Zealand Miss Tangney had heard only one person speak against the legislation. “The worker is today too well treated,” she was told. “What is the good of having or using brains these days?” This was a selfish thought, she considered, for it was the right of every person to ‘ get a good deal.” “SUSTENANCE” POSITION Sustenance was received by unemployed men in Australia but the amount differed greatly from that received in New Zealand. The maximum amount paid in the Commonwealth was £2 9/-, the sum given to a man with a wife and five children. If a man had nine or more of a family he still received only £2 9/-, but in New Zealand the amount increased with the size of the family. There were great numbers of men in Australia who had not had employment for many years. The problem of leisure and its proper use would probably receive the attention of the Government in the near , future.

Because of the anomaly of the system of government it frequently happened that a man working under a Federal award was engaged on the same task, and in the same town, as a man working under a state award and yet received more than the other in salary. This naturally bred discontent and attempts were being made to adjust the position. In West Australia, said Miss Tangney, there were 97 parliamentarians in a state that had a population of 480,000 and the number was correspondingly greater in the other states. The work they did was to a great extent ineffective because of the dual control. A move had been afoot in Australia to interest young people in social welfare, said Miss Tangney. More than 1000 young ' people belonged to Young Labour Leagues in which they enjoyed debating and recreation. Most of these organizations had their own choirs, bands, orchestras and sports circles and the interest taken in the clubs was considerable. In the University Labour Club about 80 members were studying social conditions. There were club rooms in all the main towns and excellent libraries were attached.

Miss Tangney will leave Bluff on Monday by the Maunganui for Melbourne.