The Waikato Times FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1938 IMPORTANT MEASURES

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20463, 1 April 1938, Page 6

The Waikato Times FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1938 IMPORTANT MEASURES

The decision of the Government that the proceedings of the special Parliamentary Committee should be open to the public meant that its own proposals, which will form the basis of the work, had to be made known. Recently the Prime Minister said that the Government would not come empty handed and its plans will certainly be awaited with widespread interest. The holding of an open investigation of this character should be of value for more than one reason. The superannuation scheme, being on a national basis, will concern every citizen. It will break new ground and the Government anticipates that the measure will be the most important social legislation introduced for many years. It is desirable that the people should be in a position to study any proposals in detail, for the success of the scheme finally adopted will be the more probable if the Government has managed to carry the people with it and has secured not only the endorsement of Parliament, legally establishing the new order, but also the willing co-operation of the people. The goal which the Government has in view is well known. It placed before the country in 1935 certain planks that would provide a national health service and a superannuation plan providing pensions for all at a certain age, with further payments at once to certain sections of the community, including widows, the ailing, and those unable to earn a living. That is what was promised and the immediate task of the special committee is to examine concrete proposals regarding the methods to be adopted to ensure these things. The investigations already made, and the work of the experts who have been dealing with various aspects of a national scheme, will probably have enabled the Government to determine the plan it thinks the most practical. It will, at least, have reached some conclusions as to whether the superannuation plan is to be on a contributory basis and there should be some idea of the individual contributions that would be necessary in order that the funds may be sufficient for all purposes. The individual payments must not be based on incomes enjoyed during fairly prosperous years, for that would mean added difficulty in the event of adverse economic circumstances. It seems probable that some way will be found to base the contributions on an average over a reasonable period. The work of the committee will be both arduous and important and if its report is to be ready in time to enable the necessary measures to be drafted then there must be no interruption of its work. The pressure would have been lighter had the Government been in a position to submit its own proposals in the form of Bills, but apparently it had not reached that stage and the heavier task now devolves on the committee. If the Prime Minister could have an outline prepared of the Government’s proposals and issue it as soon as they have been submitted to the committee it would be of great assistance in enabling the people to follow the course of the investigation.