SOCIAL SECURITY

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 19

SOCIAL SECURITY

To The Editor Sir,—Never before in the history of the Dominion have so many people cause to remember April 1 as this year. Before the last election the Prime Minister and his satellites went from one end of the country to the other promising wonderful things, as from this day, if they were returned to power. Not only this, but they followed their promises up by issuing, at our expense, a pamphlet telling us of the good things in store for us from today. The bait, heavily laden with sob stuff, was swallowed at one bite by the majority of electors regardless of what it would cost them. Now All Fool’s Day has come, but where are the free hospitals, doctors, dentists, chemists and so on, we were promised? But this little joke goes further still, as we are now told that it will be necessary to raise an extra £2,000,000 a year to finance the scheme —a good word—when it comes into operation. In other words every man, woman and child in the country will be called on to provide over one pound a year extra. Moreover, the chief jesters in the trick which has been played on confiding electors, have ordered that from today—no delay in this case —we and our wives and all children over 16 years of age must pay entrance fees and also one shilling in every pound of our wages into their coffers. As the scheme (one dictionary .meaning of the word is “artful device”) is to cost over £18,000,000 a year, this means that hundreds of thousands of pounds . are to be taken from us and nothing given in return. Certainly a shrewd way of building up the finance of the Government after the orgy of expenditure which has made it necessary •to take away a great part of our freedom by bringing in import and export regulations. Yes, April 1, 1939, is a day to remember!—Yours, etc., DOUBTFUL. March 31, 1939.