LABOUR VICTORY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 219, 10 May 1932, Page 5

LABOUR VICTORY

("Post" Special Commissioner).

MINISTER DROPS CLAUSE REDUCING MATERNITY BONUS FURTHER CONSIDERATION

WELLINGTON, Monday. A victory for the Opposition was announced in the House of Representatives to-day. Strong exception was taken on Saturday afternoon to a proposal in the Finance Bill to reduce maternity benefits under the National P'rovident Fund and after a lengthy discussion, in which the Government's obligations to contributors to the fund were raised, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, promised to reconsider the clause. It was maintained by tha Opposition that the House was not qualified to interfere with the benefits which had been conferred by the Furr Coijtributors were entitled to certain benefits and were entitled to a contribution from the State of one quarter of the fund. Discussion was suspended in order to allow the Ministe© of Finance to investigate the conditions of the clause. The Minister intimated to-day that he had not had a full opportunity to look into the matter, hut he was satis- , fied that it required further investigation. A difficulty arose owing to complications as between the National Provident Fund and friendly societies. To avoid risk of injustice, he proposed to drop the clause so as to allow time for its amendment to be considered between now and next session.. | The clause was aecordingly withdrawn. -■* A report of the debate on the clause which took place on Saturday afternoon and was responsible for some heated mdments, appears on Page 7.