STATE INSURANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 421, 1 August 1928, Page 13

STATE INSURANCE

LABOUR ON FAMILIAR LINE “A POLITICAL RED HERRING” (THE SUNS Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Viewing State insurance schemes as a working model of their own socialisation ideals, Labour men in the House regard the Government Life and State Fire Insurance Departments almost in rapt admiration. But they mingle this, as they did last week, and again .to-day, with loud proclamation of the fact that the principle is not carried far enough. Mr. W. E. Parry, Mr. J. A. Lee and Mr. H. E. Holland joined to-day, when the Government Life Insurance report was presented to the House, in asserting that its success furnished ample vindication of Labour’s socialisation policy. Also that it had not yet been demonstrated that the Government was doing all it could to compete with the private companies; and that the private companies were being allowed to dictate the terms on which the State institutions offered insurance to the public. Since it was given a very considerable airing at the end of week, this is becoming a familiar line of criticism. When the Hon. R. A. Wright was replying, Mr. J. A. Lee interjected to remark that tho institutions, in themselves, were too sound to be wrecked by even Reform incompetence. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of tho Opposition, said that the policy of the State insurance systems, like that of other State institution?, notably the Post Office Savings Bank, was controlled by private companies. “This is merely a political red herring,” said the Hon. A. D. McLeod. Keeping away from this particular argument, Mr. G. W. Forbes, Hurunui, deplored the fact that reports were not handed to members before being presented by Ministers. “This is a cart before the horse style of debate,” he said.