COMPENSATION BILL PASSED BY HOUSE

Chronicle (Levin), 22 November 1947, Page 3

COMPENSATION BILL PASSED BY HOUSE

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, Nov. 21. Mr. \V. A. Skeat (Patea), speakiug in the eommittee stages of the Workers' Compensation. Bill, in the House of Represenlatives, reiterated the Opposition's attitude, to various clauaes ,with which it was not in agreemens and added that while there was gratiiieation that local bodies carrying their own insurance scliemes, had been exempted, there was just as good a case for shipping couipanies to reoeive equal consideration. Mr.'W. J. Sullivan (Bay of Plentv) also pressed for exemption for shipping companies. He considered the Bill, in essence, was an attack ou the tarill companies domicilod in New Zealand. Mr. ISheat said it was true that the amendments made to the Bill in couiuiittce came from the Government Iml the Minister luid merely got in iirst. The Opposition had actually prepared amendments to give effect to the chnnges which the Minister himself had. introduced. llon. A. MeLagan said it was idle to pretend that refusal to exeiupt shipping companies from the obligation to insure with the State office, would cost the companies another £200,000 annually. Mr, yheat said it was a stupid political claptrap to pretend thal employers who had for so long enjoyed the option of insuring with the fcjtate if they preferred it, had submitted to exploitation by the private companies. Mr. MeLagan said shipping companies had claimod, in evidence to the eommittee, that they would be obliged by the Bill to pay twice, over for insurance protection but that would uot occur unless their own obligatious obTiged them to do so. Mr. C. M. Bowden (Karori) moved as an amendment that to the list oi those insurers excmpt from the BilJ should be added the two mutual insur anee companies opery.ted by shii? owners. He said refusal to grant this exemption would mean that shipowners would liavo to pay up to auother quarter of a million pouuds anuually lr premiums and that must inovitably be passed on to Ihe producers and general. public in New Zealand. Mr. MeLagan said that if the shipping eoinpanies tliought they eould add any such amount to their charges and then have the i)rice control organisation in New Zealand sanction the passing on of anvthing like a quarter of a million, they wero misealeulathig. The amendment was defeated by 37. votes to 32 and another amendment' moved by Mr. .Sullivan, seelcing* fo provide that any other mutual coihpany - upproved by the Conipensationv Court, !-j might be exenij)ted from the s/ope of ! the Bill at a later date, was defeated ? by 37 votes to 33. A number of other amendments moved .by the Opposition were lost on the 1 voices and the Bill proceeded j through the eommittee stage and was .. passed. I