PARSIMONIOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 4, 6 January 1933, Page 13

PARSIMONIOUS.

AUSTRALIAN POST OFFICE. BLINDED OFFICIAL'S PENSION. (From Our Own Corrcspoudeni.) SYDNEY, December 30. Recently a sentence of 35 years' penal servitude was imposed upon the ruffian Grecrson, who, in the William Street robbery, blinded for life the young postal official, Alfred Johnson. Now that the trial is over, the compensation that JOhnson is to receive from the Department is under discussion and one regrets to find that the pension offered by the Government is by no means generous. The Postmaster-General, Mr. Parkhill, had assured the victim and his father that, the authorities would disregard all precedents and regulations in dealing with so exceptional a case. What the Department offered was a lump sum of £1000, and a pension which, as the result of some curious official computation, based partly on years of service, worked out. at'£3 13/10 a week. Jonnsbn and his father naturally pointed out that this sum, as a weekly income, would be quite inadequate to the blind man's needs, as he would require books for study and practice in Braille writing, and a boy or attendant to guide him, at least for some considerable time. But what made this sum of £3 13/10 a week even more pitiful was this —that Johnson was already entitled to £1 16/ a week, by way of superannuation, as he had been contributing to the fund for 15 years. Relatives Protest. What the Department was really offering by way of pension was thus £1 17/10 a week. No wonder that the unfortunate young man and his relatives protested. The.Department's next move was to offer £5 a week—Johnson being already entitled to. £1 16/ a week as shown above —and £500 in cash. Johnson's father —the young man seems to have collapsed at this interview arid was unable to argue the matter further — then suggested to Mr. Parkhill £1000 in cash, and a pension of £5 a Aveek. But Mr. Parkhill seems to have been rather appalled at the prospect of expending so much public money, and could only reply, feebly enough, that he would have to put the matter before Cabinet. So there, for the time being, the question stands. False Economy. A great many people here are disgusted at this painful exhibition of bureaucratic parsimony. It should not be forgotten that only two years ago, an attempt had been made to "stick up" the postal officials in William Street, and for several months the Department provided a taxi cab in which the money was taken daily from the Post Office to the bank. But" a few months ago the Department notified the Post Office that the taxi cost too much, and must be stopped —recommending the officials to keep off the main street so as to avoid trouble. Now the outcome of this curious experiment in administrative economy is that Johnson is blind for life, and the Department offers him as pension—above what he can legally claim—the magnificent sum of £3 4/ a week.