DEPRECIATING PENSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 115, 14 May 1920, Page 5

DEPRECIATING PENSIONS.

RETIRED GOVERNMENT SERVANTS. FORMING AN ASSOCIATION. ''Does the Government think it fair that those who are still in the service should have extra remuneration while those who hate borne *he heat and burden of the day are left to starve?" This sentiment, expressed by a member of what is now the Association of .Superannuated, Civil Servants, yesterday afternoon, &vms up the principal subject of discission at a -meeting Of retired railway and other civil servants that was convened and held in the Railway Social Hall.

The meeting was called to "discuss matters of mutual interest,'' and Mr. M. Guthrie, (Railway Department) was in the chair. Mr R. Si W. Ballantyne, (Lands arid Survey Department) proposed thftt.an association be formed, his chief reason being that it was desirable that .uperanhuhted civil servants should be brought together .for mutual protection and discussion. Ho went on to say that.Wheii the meU;how retired had become entitled to superannuation, the money was *of mUch gf e_ter value to theffi'tflnnrit was tofday. The cost of living had gone up and the value of money had come down. Therefore the sum that once.represented enough to keep them in fair comfort in their old age, wa_ no w ' bar.iy enough to keep them from penury.

The meeting decided ,to form an organisation to he called "The. Association of Superannuated- Civil Servant.," and further decided that servants of ■local bodies were not eligible for membership, but only .those, including teiohers, who were in actual receipt of. Government superannuation. The case of widows wa_ brought before the meeting by Mr. T. G. Waitt, (Lands and Survey and Pensions Department) who said the pension, to widows were often as ;low as £18 a year. He moved that . widows receiving ■ superannuation should be eligible for membership, ai__ this wa_ agreed to. _«_r_. T. G. Waitt, M. Guthrie, W. H. Wrba-h, R. Maxwell, J. Coutte, R. W. S. 'Ballantyne, \Y. Wilson and R. L. Harrison, were appointed a provisional committee to draw up and deal with other matters, and Mr. E. Clark was elected secretary.