HELP THE CHILD.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1922, Page 5

HELP THE CHILD.

SCHEME FOR BETTER LIVING. SUBSIDY ON DOW WAGES SOLUTION OF DIFFICULT PROBLEM. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House to-day Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) introduced the Child Sustenance Bill. He said this was an attempt to solve the problem of how to assist the man with a low wage to rear a family. He said the scheme to subsidise families of young children would cost £2,000,000 yearly and the money should come out of industries in which many employees had no dependents. A contribution of 3s a week by males and 1/6 by female employees would give over £2,000,000, but he considered the State and the employer should also bear part of the burden. He put the Bill forward as a basis of something the Government might do to ameliorate the condition of the women and children of the future, as he knew this measure could not itself be carried through, because it contained money clauses. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), supporting the principles of the Bill, regretted it could not foe passed by a private member’s efforts, but he trusted those principles might before long find the Government in a mood to put them into statute form. There was an urgent need that something should be done to ameliorate the condition of many people in unfortunate circumstances.

Mr. A,. S. Malcolm (Clutha) suggested the Government might allow the Bill to be referred to a select committee, for though legislation might not be possible at once, valuable information would be made available for use at a later date. Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) supported the Bill. Mr. J. Savage (Auckland West) declared the Bill would defeat its own object, because the tendency would be for employers to employ men with small families. The liability for the support of children belonged to the whole body politic and not to any one class or industry, and therefore the contribution should come out of the consolidated fund. The endowment of motherhood was the best solution of the problem. Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said the only real method of meet- > ing the problem of providing for children was to make the wages payable outside of the basic wage according to the size of an employee’s family. The sustenance fund should come from industries and employe V- He thought the Bill pointed at least the way to a partial solution of a most serious problem. Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) thought the Bill meant that the burden of financing its operation would fall on the poorest. The only method of dealing with the problem was by equality of sacrifice and all should contribute through taxation. ' Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party j said society owed, it to children that they should have a decent opportunity of growing up. The present average wage was not sufficient for the maintenance of p proper standard of living and Ipotherhood endowment was the proper solution. ' The discussion was interrupted by the dinner adjournment.