Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1947 SOCIAL LEGISLATION—AUSTRALIAN INTEREST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 54, 16 July 1947, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1947 SOCIAL LEGISLATION—AUSTRALIAN INTEREST

WITH its Labour Government poised on the verge of of introducing a mass of Social legislation following closely on New Zealand lines, the average Australian today evinces an intense interest in the Dominion, and is hungry for firsthand knowledge of the effect and workability of the new laws. Australia today as far as social security is concerned stands in approximately the same position, New Zealand filled in 1938, before the full flush of hospital, compensatory, child bonuses and age benefits were in force. The Dominion appeals in the light of a thoroughly interesting experiment which has not as yet completely proved itself. Professional and medical men *are especially interested. The middle and lower classes are impatient for the complete introduction of the New Zealand regime inclusive of the 40hour week, and the more recent child endowment bonus. The outward signs of this impatience bear witness in the shape of recurring strikes, and discontentment. New Zealand is hailed by the worker as a modern utopia which' leads the world in respect of constructive legislation calculated to make for* a near approach to ideal conditions for the worker. This from a country where the cost of livihg is slightly lower than in the Dominion, where produce prices more than favourably compare, and where fabrics are beginning to flow freely from home-based industries is rather surprising until it is reflected that the basic wage is well below that ruling in New Zealand. Australia again is plagued with a substantial extremist .section, mainly in the larger cities, where the' Communistic element is particularly strong and where agitators never fail to draw record crowds in the Sydney Domain and the Melbourne Yarra-side. Briefly it might be said that the Australian population falls into two schools of thought with regard to the advent of social legislation. These are clearly defined, by the older type of farmer and businessman, who may be said to represent the capitalistic outlook, and who view the whole scheme with uncertainty and misgiving, and the younger

businessman and worker who still faced with the struggle

of founding and equipping a home regards it in the light of a hopeful advent of better things. The growing swing towards' the National Party in New Zealand has discomforted many of Labour’s best supporters, but the surge of political enthusiasm is definitely still pro-Labour and will probably remain so much longer than in this country, where the metropolitan populations are much smaller and the industrial populations offset to a large extent by the rural communities. New Zealand’s great colonial neighbour however is developing rapidly, particularly in her giant secondary industries and whatever the course of her political throes they will be watched with the keenest of interest by students in this Dominion.