The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1882. THE NATIONAL INSURANCE SCHEME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1122, 12 July 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1882. THE NATIONAL INSURANCE SCHEME.

■ Major Atkinson has no doubt many j friends.., upon whom he can rely for candid and sensible advice. Had he consulted one or two. of them before bringing forward his National Insurance. scheme, we feel sure tb'at'.hc : woultj either havo slept upon ,it till another session, or presented it in. an altogether different form. As it is, his proposal has been taken up'almost as a , pai'tj question, and he has- unneces-' 1 savily embarrassed his colleagues by tlie introduction of a measure which everybody knows would prove a failure. ■ Major Atkinson is our ablest financier and it is a pity that he not; content ' with the ordinary responsibilities of his office without going out of .his'way after now'inventions. If ho would only keep.quiet.lie would command, as Treasurer, the ..confidence .of_ ine.mbers on both sides of the-House. As it is, he spoils his success as an administrator by attempting to triumph-as a legislator. It is very easy for "him, theoretically, to shew how the drunkard' and the dissolute can be made to provide for their old age and for sickness, but in practice everybody must know • that it will be impossible to get weekly contributions from the very men who are most certain, twenty or thirty years hence to be paupers. Compulsory legislation under such circumstances would be a farce, It would be far better if Major Atkinson had made his scheme a voluntary association. As such thousands would have joined it and those who neglected to take advantage of its-provisions would form a class which would no : doubt require State relief, but this State relief would be of •a character suited for meeting the necessities of culpable poverty. If an assurance association to provide for sickness, old age, and orphanage, were started , on a voluntary principle it would doubtless find a large measure of support from settlers'throughputthe colony, and public opinion would gradually develope it to the utmost extent , to which it could be really' useful.; Fiom the debate in the Assembly we expect but. little result. The Opposition have stuck the land question into it as if. poverty in this colony, was the direct outcome of land legislation. When Mr Turnbull, for' example, claimed that land locked up was the cause . of colonial poverty he shewed how distorted a politician's views may become under party government. No sane man throughout the colony doubts that evil habits such 1 as ' idleness, drunkenness, and improvidence are the mailt causes of the, poverty to be found ! in this colony, and when M.H.R.'s tell .; us that such is not the case they simply j insult the common senSe of tlie whole- j community. .

(i'OODS AND, PASSENGER TRAFFIC. ■;:.AVe pr'rf for a long; pGriad ui'tJecl ,the separation of' the goods and passenger' traffio.on our railway, and we are glad to hear from the Hon Mr Oliver's speeoh in; the Legislative Council last evening that the Government ate considering the propriety of divorcing the two jnoompable