SOCIAL SECURITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 190, 13 August 1938, Page 10

SOCIAL SECURITY

BILL BEFORE HOUSE DEBATE ON COMMITTEE’S REPORT [Per Press Association. J WELLINGTON, Aug. 12. When the House resumed at 2.30 p.m. the Social Security' Bill was introduced by Governor’s message. The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. A. Hamilton, asked if the Minister of Finance would give the House some idea of its contents. He had heard that the Bill had some hundred clauses but he would be grateful if the Minister could give them some idea of the main provisions where alterations were proposed in the existing order of things. He also asked the Prime Minister if he considered there were any necessiay to continue the discussion on the Superannuation and Health Committee’s report, the main features of which were embodied in the Bill. Mr. Savage: Oh. I don’t know. If members don't talk on the corpmittee’s report the discussion must end. The Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, then proceeded briefly to outline the main provisions of the Bill on lines similar to those contained in his official summary of the Bill issued to lhe Press earlier in the day. Mr. Hamilton asked the Prime I Minister when the second reading of 1 the debate would begin and what would be the time limit for speeches. I Mr. Savage, in reply, stated that the debate would begin on Tuesday evening and the time limit would be half an x hour. The Bill was read a first ti.\e. Ihe Alsatian Dog Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a first time. The member in charge of the Bill is Mr. W. J. Polson. The debate was continued on the report of the Superannuation and Health Committee. Medical Service For AH. Mr. J. Robertson (Government, Masterton), cited the fact that the late Sir Truby King, when commencing his work in New Zealand, had been opposed by the medical profession and had had a tremendous uphill fight in securing recognition for the work in its early stages. There was no question, he said, as to ’whether we had a good standard of medical service in New Zealand. All were agreed that it was a very high ’standard of service but the Govern- ■ meat’s objective was to make that (service available to every member of the community. Mr. Robertson said the people had been grossly misled regarding the attitude of the medical men to the social security legislation. Never had there been such one-sided reporting as there was in the rase of the proceedings of the vmmittee on national superannuation and health. When statements were put forward by representatives of the British Medical Association they were produced in full, but little or none of the I cross-examination of the medical witnesses was printed by the Press. Mr. J. A. Lee (Government, Grey ■ I Lynn) said the report laid it dpwn ; that so long as there was a flow of i wealth lhe people would have their! ishare. The Opposition's view was that in the event of a recession of j trade and income the people were to be kept out of their homes but the mortgagee had to be paid. The Government, said Mr. Lee, stated that the basic wage at present was not enough and that the family should be endowed without delay from the Con-soli*’'-ted Fund. Mr. Lee continued that as far back las 1897 the Tory members of tte j House had opposed pensions. One of j them had complained that within four : years from that date it would cost at ; least £400.000 a year for the scheme I and he was alarmed at the prospect. - To-day New Zealand was paying peni sions well in excess of £6,000,000 and no one was alarmed except the re- . presentatives of vested interests. The Minister of Lands, Hon. F. I Langstonc, said that a feature of the i proposals was that it did not matter who the people were they could not fall below a definite level of living. Everyone knew that the friendly society scheme was limited when it camj to cases of sickness, but it was • a totally different matter when the State became the guarantor for all people who needed assistance. The Government’s schemes were infinitely superior to other schemes because of their comprehensiveness. Levy For Superannuation. Mr. W. .J. Lyon (Government, Waitemata) said the Opposition had no definite statement giving any indication of their attityde to the Government’s proposals. He contended that it was incorrect to say that the charge of Is in the pound which the Government proposed to levy w?s for superannuation alone. The lot.al amount which the Is in the pound levy would j brinj in was in the vicinity of £7,000,000. Of the Is, 6d would be required for the health services, 3d for • unemployment and the actual superannuation charge would be only 3d. ( Mr. H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson) said he was pleased to find that the Social Security Bill had made its appearance, and he was of opinion that it made provision lor an epoch- , making service. He did not think that lhe amount of pensions should always remain at 30s a week and said he had i frequently contended in the past that | the amiunt of the oasi _• wage should ■ also be the an ount ol the lowest pen- • sion. He was satisfied that it was a ,' right st?o and that other countries I would follow the lead as they had done in the past of little New Zea- ! land. The motion that the report be laid on the table was carried without dissent. Mr. Savage intimated that the House would go into Committee of Supply on Tuesday afternoon and the second reading debate on the Social Security Bill would commence on 1 Tuesday night. On the Prime Minister’s motion the House rose at 5.15 p.m.