STRONG PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1943, Page 2

STRONG PROTEST

MADE TO PRIME MINISTER ACTION OF LABOUR CANDIDATE CALLED BREACH OF SOCIAL SECURITY CONFIDENCE. TELEGRAM FROM MASTERTON EARLY SETTLERS. Arising out of a statement made by the Labour candidate for Masterton (Mr J. Robertson) at his meeting on Monday night the following telegram has been addressed to the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) by Mr Charles Bannister: — “Masterton early settlers protest against shameless breach of faith and of Social Security confidence, by Masterton Labour member. . . . Facts confirmed by Mayor of Masterton, chairman of meeting. Robertson told audience of 700 that he had ascertained from Social Security office that only nineteen out of 120 pioneers at Masterton Early Settlers’ Centennial dinner were not receiving Social Se- : curity benefit. This statement involved breach of Social Security confidence and also misled public who believed, and were obviously meant to believe, that we were nearly all improvident paupers living on Social Security? Actually most of us merely drew the small universal superannuation available to all over age of 65. Please reply urgently advising whether Labour policy permits Labour candidates to break Social Security confidence in this way. Copy of this telegram handed to the Press.” ' f MR ROBERTSON’S COMMENT NOT INTERESTED IN NAMES. Replying to criticism of a statement he made in Masterton on Monday night, Mr J. Robertson states that out of 122 pioneers who attended the Centennial dinner in Masterton in 1940, 85 were receiving the Social Security age benefit. It was entirely incorrect to say that the greater part of them were getting only the universal superannuation. The names of any of the people on the list, no matter what benefit they were receiving, did not interest him at all and he did not know who were receiving the age benefit or the universal superannuation. t INSULT TO EARLY SETTLERS (To the Editor.) Sir,—What right has any man, M.P. or not, to obtain information; about us from the Social Security Office? And to attempt to distort this information by flaunting the card containing our names before a large audience and leading them to believe that the settlers honoured by the town at the Centennial dinner were really a bunch of improvidents living on the Government’s Social Security is surely a record in election tactics. —I am, etc., ANOTHER PIONEER. Masterton, September 22. (To the Editor.) Sir,—l have consulted a lawyer and he tells me that no person has the right to get information about others from the Social Security Office, and that an M.P. has no more right than any other citizen. But he tells me that it would be difficult to obtain redress by legal procedure for the gross breach of confidence and misrepresentation involved. I suggest that those he has offended and their families join in asking their good friend the Mayor, who headed the celebrations in their honour and who knows all the facts of the case, to take this matter up in the proper quarters. This would’ ensure that no politician should ever again venture on such conduct. I am, etc., GRANDAUGHTER OF A PIONEER. Masterton.