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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 4, No. 10. September 18, 1941

[Introduction]

The social services of any community are of great importance to anyone who wishes to judge its standard of civilization since they show how far it is able and willing to provide for the basic needs of those of its members who, for various reasons, cannot earn their own living. Dr. Sutch's new book "Poverty and Progress in New Zealand" (procurable for 5/- from Modern Books, Woodward Street) outlines the development in this country of such services as education, pensions, hospitals and unemployment relief and enables us to judge how far and for what reasons New Zealand has progressed in this sphere.

The development of a system of social services—from charitable relief for a few of those who were sufficiently "meek of spirit, destitute of temporal goods, chaste, and of good conversation" to the imposing structure of Social Security to-day—gains meaning only when it is related to the wider changes in the society in which it has occured. As Dr. Sutch points out it was the breakdown of the older system of charitable relief in the depression of the 'eighties and the consequent suffering and discontent that led to the reforms that gained New Zealand the reputation of being a Pacific Utopia at the beginning of this century. In the same way the legislation of the Labour Government in these matters was the result of the misery and bitterness from the inadequacy of social services during the last depression.