MORE RETRENCHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 46, 24 February 1931, Page 3

MORE RETRENCHMENT.

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT. RETIREMENTS FROM PUBLIC SERVICE. EIGHT TO SUPERANNUATION. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this clay. It is anticipated tliat Parliament during the emergency session will be asked to amend the Public Service Superannuation Act with the object of facilitating the retirement of employees who normally are within a few years of obtaining superannuation allowances. The Public Service is not seriously overstaffed, but great economy could be secured by means of this proposal, particularly if it extended to the Railway Department, which, in the opinion of the recent Royal Commission, is overmanned. Defence retrenchment was secured last year by similar legislation, a clausc being inserted in the Finance Act empowering any member of the permanent force or clerical branch who was compulsorily retired through no fault of his own to secure superannuation allowance if at the time of retirement the addition of five years to his age or length of service would enable him to obtain superannuation as a right. The extension of this provision to all other branches of the State service would enable the Government to retrench on pension any permanent employee with 35 years of service or on reaching the age of 60 years.