WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10708, 31 August 1912, Page 5

WORKERS' COMPENSATION

AN AMENDING BILL

(Tin Telpnranh — Vress Association )

WELLINGTON, Last Night

In the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Hon. J. Paul resumed the adjourned debate on the second reading of the Workers?' Compensation for Accident Amendment Bill. (Hon. J. Rigg). He s.'aid that though the Bill did • not touch the difficulties surrounding the working of the Act, it brought the Insurance Companies out into the open. It was a wise and humane policy to give the worker protection, and make it a charge upon industry. The accident insurance business of the country would not be on a. satisfactory basis until the whole . thing wan managed by the State. The Hon. H.*D. Bell said the Government had not the actuarial reserve to warrant it in- plunging into an immediately big business. Tt was advisable tlr.it increases should be made gradually, but much more information would .need to.be obtained before the Department launched into what would practically be a monopoly. The Hon. C. M. Luke contended that, the Bill would simply impose j greater'.-hardships- • upon the-employ-ers, without much benefit to the.em- j ployees. He agreed that there would be no solution till the Government took the whole thing over. The effect of the Bill, as it stood, would he that companies would immediately raise • their rites. 1 The Hon, Mr Callan supported the second reading. i The Hon. J. Rigg, replying, expressed his agreement that the Bill should go to the Labour Bills Committee. Some of the Accident Insurance Companion were, he said, deliberately defrauding the employees of what they were entitled to. and when a case went to the court, the companies sheltered themselves behind the "employer, who had to bear the odium. ■ The 'object cf the Bill was to deal | ' with cases like that. . , The second reading was earned on the voices, and the Bill .was referred I ' t o the-Lahnur Bills Comrnittee. ,