PENSIONS & HEALTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1938, Page 5

PENSIONS & HEALTH

PREMIER ON GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS REPLY TO OPPOSITION LEADER. HOSPITALS & THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. t. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A reply to Opposition criticism of the Social Security Bill was made by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, during the second reading debate on the measure in the House of Representatives last night. Mr Savage dealt at length with the arguments put forward on Tuesday night by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Adam Hamilton. There had been a lot of talk regarding the financing of the proposals, Mr Savage observed. There was only one way to get the money for superannuation and health services and that was for the people to combine to provide security for themselves. The Leader of the Opposition had suggested that there must have been headaches in the Cabinet, but there had been no complaints in that direction. Mr C. A. Winkinson (Independent, Egmont): “Were there many arguments?” “It was also said that it would have been interesting to look into the Government caucus meetings,” Mr Savage continued. “It would not have been nearly as interesting at is would have been to look into the Opposition caucus last Saturday morning. All I would ask the Opposition is whether they will repeal the legislation if they are elected at the next poll.” Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo): “It’s your responsibility.” Mr Savage: “And we will live up to it. If the people don’t want it they will reject us.” Mr Broadfoot: “You are making it an issue.” Mr Savage: “There are a dozen issues but this is the biggest of the lot” THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. “We are asked what we will do if the doctors will not co-operate,” the Prime Minister observed. “That is almost like inciting them to refuse to work with us. I have supported organisations in stands which they have taken up in the past, but I have never yet said that any organisation should set itself up as having the last say. And we are not going to socialise the medical profession. We want the doctors to be paid for the services which they give. They have never been paid in the past. If we all join together the doctors can be paid without humiliating anybody. “We are making provision for better distribution,” said Mr Savage. “In the past, attention has been paid almost exclusively to production, and we have periods of depression because we have an accumulation' of goods and at the same time people without purchasing power. We are doing our best to stop all that.” (Continued on page 3.)