RETIRED BUT WANT TO WORK

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30667, 5 February 1965, Page 3

RETIRED BUT WANT TO WORK

(N.Z. Press Association). WELLINGTON, February 4. While most of New Zealand suffers from over-employment, a potential labour force of retired people remains virtually untapped. With a view of rectifying this a 65-year-old Wellington businessman, Mr R. G. Nelson, is travelling throughout New Zealand forming what he describes as a “50 and over association.” The main idea of the association is to find employment for men and women of that age who have retired but who still feel the urge to keep occupied, he said.

Too often retired people were disappointed, lonely and penurious. Old people’s clubs in New Zealand could well consider the “retirement without tears” aims of the “over 50s” association which were doing excellent work in Victoria and New South Wales. There was no question of replacing or putting young people out of jobs, he said. The older ones could help and give the benefit of their experience and show some of the more skilled aspects of their trade. Mr Nelson contends that the employment of people over 50 would reduce social security payments and lighten the taxpayer’s burden at the same time as filling vacant jobs. "I hop* to seek financial

aid from the Government and a grant from the Golden Kiwi Lottery to give us a start and then it will be up to those people employed to pay a small premium from their salary. To help form the association in New Zealand, Miss Olga Deane, of Sydney, will come to New Zealand and headquarters will be set up in Wellington. The chairman of the association will be Mr Gladstone Hill.

In the last 10 years the Victorian over 50 association had found jobs for more than 7000 of its members. The idea was just beginning to catch on in New South Wales where it had the support of the Rotary Clubs.