COMPENSATION FOR INJURED WORKERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 103, 22 July 1927, Page 1

COMPENSATION FOR INJURED WORKERS

“MODEST LITTLE BILL” MR. HOWARD’S AMENDMENT (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. TN moving the second reading of what he termed “my modest little amendment Bill,” Mr. E. J. Howard, Christchurch South, spoke at considerable length on the importance of compensation for injured workers. Mr. Howard said that he wished to pay tribute to the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, who was an old fighter for Labour before he went astray, for what he had done up till now in connection with compensation. There had been a time when New Zealand led the world in Labour legislation, but now she followed it. Every measure of relief introduced last year by Mr. Anderson was suggested by the League of Nations congress in 1924, and they. had not gone yet as far as the League wanted them to go. “I am not an optimist enough to believe this Bill will reach the Statute Book,” he said, “probably it would reach the Bills’ Committee and go from there to the waste-paper basket, which was the end of all private members’ Bills. Mr. Howard said no other Act affected a worker so much as the Workers’ Compensation Act, and this Bill was designed to make dependants of any worker accidentally killed entitled to £I,OOO without any discrimination contingent upon the status of the worker and the amount of his weekly earnings. Women workers would also be placed on an equal footing with men. All that was proposed was in conformity with the recommendations of the Labour Council of the League of Nations, although following a long way behind those recommendations. Provision for the compulsory insurance of employees under a State scheme was surely only a matter of common sense. Mr. Anderson complimented Mr. Howard on his persistency, paralleled by the member for Dunedin South.

“Mr. Howard must be one of the most persistent men in the House,” continued Mr. Anderson. “His ideal was beautiful, but it would be very difficult tb attain it, under the present system of insurance. I know from experience that there is not a great deal of profit in the business at the present time. I do not think the Bill feasible or wise.” Mr. Parry: It never is when it is to the good of workers. Labour members carried on the discussion until after 12.30. Mr. D. G. Sullivan, Avon, interrupted to ask the Speaker if a quorum were present, many Government members 1 asleep on their benches being invisible to him, until his query caused a momentary period of wakefulness. Mr. Howard replied and the Bill was read the second time.