SOCIAL SECURITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1938, Page 5

SOCIAL SECURITY

EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS TO BE MADE DETAILS'OF ORGANISATION STATEMENT BY PREMIER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The intention of the Government to "make the principal administrative appointments under the Social Security Act at an early date was mentioned by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, in an interview last evening. This involves the appointment of a Minister of Social Security as well as that of a Social Security Commission of not more than three commissioners, and it is also probable that a Parliamentary Under-Secretary will be appointed to assist with the administration of the scheme.

Mr Savage said that a good deal of the discussion at the caucus of members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, which had concluded that afternoon, had been devoted to matters connected with the administration of the Social Security Act. Although the Act did not become operative until April 1 there was no time to lose, and consideration had been given to proposals and preparations for th,e launching of the scheme next year. The scheme was such a big thing that it required a good deal of thought and organisation to give effect to it. By the time Parliament met again the Act would be in operation, and as a, result of experience of the scheme in practice the Government would know what amendments ,if any, were necessary. In the meantime there was a great deal of preparatory organisation work to do from the departmental point of view. It was also necessary to meet the hospital boards, friendly societies, medical profession and everybody else concerned. The Prime Minister said he had only just received a- report from the heads of the services, brought into the scheme, which outlined what they considered necessary in the way of organisation. He had not yet had an opportunity to study their report. The whole pensions system would have to be fitted into the new order of things. Caucus, said Mr Savage, had not discussed the question of the appointment of Parliamentary Under-Secre-taries. The Government would have to deal with that question when the need for such appointments arose. Ke thought it would be necessary to have some assistance, but any appointments of this nature would be made by the Government.

The appointment of the commissioners to administer the scheme would have to be made shortly in order that they might get the correct measure of their job. The sooner the appointments were made the better. It would also be necessary to appoint a Minister of Social Security, although the Minister of Health would administer the health side of the scheme. "These are things we can’t carry resolutions about in caucus,” said Mr Savage. “Caiicus can only decide general principles, but such things as the appointment of the administrative officers must be done by the Government.”