SOCIAL SECURITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1938, Page 4

SOCIAL SECURITY

BILL EXPECTED TO APPEAR NEXT WEEK STATEMENT BY MR SAVAGE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Bill giving effect to the Government's social security proposals is expected to make its appearance in the House of Representatives some time next week. This information was given in an interview last evening by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, who returned to Wellington yesterday from his visit to the South Island. Mr Savage indicated that the drafting of the legislation had been completed and that the final touches were now being given to the Bill, which would be handled during its passage through the House by the Minister of Finance, the Hon W. Nash. “The Bill is a fairly massive piece of legislation," Mr Savage said. “I understand it will probably run to about 150 clauses, but every one of them will mean something, and the ’*'■ Bill itself will be the greatest step forward for many years in providing for the social welfare of the people.” Not all the provisions in the Bill would be new, the Prime Minister continued. Naturally it would be necessary to set up a new department of State to administer the benefits proposed, but much of the legislation would deal with amendments and consolidations of the law dealing with pensions and employment promotion and provisions for the supervision of the health services. “I cannot give the exact day when the Bill will appear,” Mr Savage added “but it should be introduced before the end of next week. Ample opportunity will be given for a discussion of all its provisions and no attempt will be made to rush the measure through the House.”