FAMILY ENDOWMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 1, 23 March 1927, Page 15

FAMILY ENDOWMENT

N.S.W. SCHEME REPORT OF CONFERENCE By Cable. —Press Association.——Copyright SYDNEY, Tuesday. In the New South Wales Legislative Assembly the Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, submitted the report of the conference of the two Houses on the Family Endowment and Basic Wage Bills. The Premier said the conference was unable to come to a unanimous agreement, but the majority had agreed as follows: Firstly, that a scheme of family endowment was a necessary complement to the living wage; i Secondly, that, subject to the establishment of a satisfactory scheme of child endowment, the standard of living and a living wage for a male adult employee should be based on the requirements of a man and his wife without children; Thirdly, that while the standard of living should not be lower for rural than for other Employees, the Industrial Commissioner should have power to declare a separate living wage for rural workers; Fourthly, that any scheme of family endowment should be regarded as provisional, pending the determination of the question whether the matter can be dealt with on a Federal basis; Fifthly, that the amount of the allowance to be made for children should not be less than 5s a week for each child under 14. The report added that the conference was unable to agree as to the limits of income up to which the endowment should be payable. Mr. Lang said he proposed to defer discussion until the Legislative Council had declared its attitude. The consideration of the report was made the order of the day for tomorrow. The report of the committee which was appointed by the Legislative Council to consider the Family Endowment Bill states that while the committee unanimously favours a system of endowment, it believes that the subject is one for Federal inquiry. The report further states that unless the council vitally amends the Government’s Family Endowment and Basic Wage Bills, which are at present held up through the Council’s amendments, the effects of the measures will be most disastrous on the industries of the State. The report further says the endowment scheme will throw an enormous additional charge upon the public services, which would amount, in the case of the railways and tramways alone, to a sum of £1,000,000. —A. and N.Z.