Friday, April 21, 1907

tioning says, “It does not have to be filled in." Well, why was it ever sent out? The excuse was that they could get some assistance from Ottawa to assist in this extra pension. But this was not what was promised and if this form was sent out there should have been an accompanying letter explaining the circumstances. I think that the present Government should live up to their promises and not take the $25.00 away from the poor people who need it; they should continue that $25.00, and they will also get the $30.00 from Ottawa which is coming out of the taxpayers. Now possibly something will be done about this; I hope it is. But in a couple of years time the Opposition on this side will possibly be in a position to correct this. I want to say that as far as I am concerned, when we form the next Government within the not too distant a future, we will pay the $25.00 we promised and we will not let the poor people in this Province down like the Government of today did. (Applause)

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: He’s starting on. Honourable T. Earle Hickey: He’s starting already.

d'd ’t Eenrth. Wedge: There is no election. This was your promise, but you 1 n eep l .

Some Member: No, you didn’t

Henry W. Wedge: And you know it.

Some Member: Just how did you think of that gimmick. Walter R. Shaw: Don’t smile at that now.

Some Member: What about the Provincial Treasurer.

Henry W. Wedge: Mr. Minister of Nothing, I have heard a lot of people try- ing to explain just what a Minister without Portfolio meant. One person said the other day that he was the Minister of Nothing.

Now, there is another problem regarding this supplementary assistance, Mr. Speaker, and I think, although we have nothing to do with them, some representa- tion should be made to the Federal Department of Veteran’s Affairs to correct. There are many cases where, under the present ceilings, War Veteran’s Allowance is not adequate to meet the needs. I know of no possible way at the present time that the Provincial Government or the municipality concerned can improve the lot of the Veterans under the present existing regulations. The underprivileged, are they underprivileged, perhaps they have had an unsatisfactory environment, these vet- erans, or an unsatisfactory home life for children. They have had inadequate school- ing or perhaps they have found themselves in this segment of our economy which has not given them the opportunity that they have needed. I feel that it is the res- ponsibility of various levels of Government, public-minded organizations and the public-minded citizens collectively and individually to try to do something in their power to remove the things that cause some Canadians to be underprivileged. I think we have a responsibility to correct the effects of that environment. and re- gardless of how successful we might be in these endeavours, there are those who are unskilled, under endowed, and it is my feeling and my belief that we should also accept their welfare as an obligation so that the under endowed may still have a reasonable standard of life and partake of these benefits that we like to think are the privilege of every Canadian.

My reference here to is to the $25.00 which was planned to give to the War Veterans, the elderly War Veterans and we were told that it would be deducted off their welfare payments from the Federal Department of Veteran Affairs, which is an unfair thing. If one citizen is getting it, I think they should all benefit from it.

Now, we have heard that there are many people in this Province who are receiving more than $100.00 per month. There are some receiving $125.00 and up to $250.00 a month assistance. But it was not explained that the only people that this concerned are the people that are living in the institutions, such as Beach Grove, Infirmary, and the Summerset Manor. They are the only people, because they are paying a daily rate, and I have enquired and tried to find out if anybody is receiving more than $100.00, and I can’t find one person who is receiving it, and I think that

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