NEW BILLS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 315, 30 September 1908, Page 7

NEW BILLS.

IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT MEASURES. PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION, The purpose of tho Public Scrvico Classification and Superannuation Act Amendment Bill is fourfold, namely:—(l) To substituto in I'laco of tho present superannuation scheme for tho education service a scheme which is, so far as practicable, tho same as that established for tho Public Service; (2)' to placa the police force in tho samo positiou as the rest of the Public Serrico in respect of superannuation ; (3) to make certain miscellaneous amendments in tho superannuation scheme for the Public Servico; (4) to make certain provisions respecting broken time in tho Railways service. Teachers' Superannuation. Tho differences between the c'ducation service and tho Public Service are such that it is impracticable to include them in the same schome of superannuation. The Bill, therefore, preserves the separate existence of tho Teachers' Superannuation Board'and Fund, and Part I contains all the provisions applicable to teachers' superannuation. Theso provisions are essentially the same as those established by the Public Service' Superannuation Act, 1907, but there are numerous miuor variations . necessitated by the special conditions of tho education service. Every existing contributor to the Teachers' Superannuation Fund comes automatically within the scopo 'of the new scheme unless vrithin six months ho elects to remain subjebt to the old Act.

Tho retiring allowance for contributors is ; based on their final salary instead of on their average salary during the period of their service. Existing contributors will count tho whole of their back servico instead of only .one-half of it as at preGcnt. An annual subsidy of £7000 is provided for the Teachers' Superannuation Fund, corresponding. to the subsidy of £20,000 provided by the Act of 1907 for tho Public Service Superannuation Fund. Police Superannuation. The Police Provident Fund is abolished, and all its assets and liabilities are transferred to the 'Public Service Superannuation Fund. . . , Tho Police Provident Fund Board is abolished, and all* its powers are transferred to tho Public Servico Superannuation Board. One additional member is added to the latter board, to bo elected by contributors belonging to the Police Department.'-' All persons hereafter appointed to tho police force arc to become contributors to tho Public Service Superannuation' Fund on the samo terms as other public, servants. All existing contributors to tlio Police Provident Fund becomo'on the' passing of tho Act contributors-to the Public Service Superannuation Fund oii the same terms as other public servants, save that within six-months from tho passing of the Act any such contributor may clect to remain subject to the existing provisions governing police superannuation. Tho police who so join tho Public Service ' Superannuation Fund are to bo deemed original contributors—that is to say, they count the whole period.of their back service, and their contributions are determined by the age of tho contributor when he first joined the Police Provident Fund. The- special allowance to polico officers injured in tho execution of their duties is retained. ■ - ■ The Government subsidy "of £20,000 provided by the Public Service Superannuation Act,. 1907, is increased by. £3000 to meet tho additional expenditure 'imposed on the fund by the inclusion of the polico force. Public Service Superannuation. Clause 54: Sections 15 and 16 of the Public! Ser.vice Classification; 1 Act, 1907, provided that all temporary officers already appointed should, after'five years' service, become permanent, and that no temporary appointment made after the passing of that Act should continue for more than six months! Theso provisions do not apply to officers in the Post and Telegraph Department, and this Bill now makes tho same provision as to them. Clauso '55 makes it clear that any contributor whd attains the required ago or length of servico is entitled to a retiring-allowance, whether he retires voluntarily or compulsorily. This is presumably the effect of the Act as it stands, but it is thought advisable to make the piovision expressly. Clause 56: This clauso is intended to guard against the possibility of a contributor drawing a retiring-allowance on the ground that he is medically unfit for the position which .he has hitherto occupied although he is perfectly fit for some Other position which is offered to him in the Public Service. Clause 57 gives power to tho board to determine the rate of contribution payable by a contributor who is re-appointed. to the Public Servico. after retirement. Clause 58 repeals and re-enacts, with verbal alterations, Section .41 of the principal Act, the wording of which is-ambigu-ous: ,-. Clhuse 59: This clauso Wakes -amended ■provisions for the difficulty raised by the transference of an officer from a :, service governed by one superannuation scheme to a service governed by another. Tho present law is that such an officer remains a contributor ; to the fund which lie originally joined, but this arrangement will probably, bo found to cause grave practical difficulties. ' Clauses 60 awl 61: By the present law, only continuous servico can bo counted towards ■■ a retiring allowance. Experience has shown, however, that this rigid rule works considerable hardship owing • to tho i existence of accidental, or very brief intervals in tho continuity of an officer's servico. For example, on the transfer-of an officer from one position to another there may bo an interval of a day between his retirement from the one position and his appointment to tho other. Clauses 60 and 61 contain ain attempt to avoid hardships of this kind, while j maintaining tho spirit of the principle that service must be continuous. Clauso 62 makes provision for the difficulties created by the position of tlioso temporary officers who, by virtue of Section 15 of the Public Servico Classification Act, 1907, becomo permanent officers in consequence of five years' temporary employment'. The clause provides that all such officers who hereafter comploto or who have already completed their term of five years after the commencement' of tho Public Servico Classification Act, 1907. shall bo contributors to the fund, and shall be entitled to count their period of service prior to the commencement of tho Public Servico Superannuation Act, jufet as original contributors do. Clause 64 makes provision' for the privato secretaries of Ministers, those officers being' at present outside tho scopo of the' Superannuation Acts. Government Railways Superannuation. This part of the Bill makes special provisions in respect of broken periods of service in the Railways Department. THE MENTAL HOSPITALS RESERVES BILL. The Mental Hospitals Preserves Bill authorises the exchango of a 9a, 2r. 9Gp. of. the Mount View Reserve to the Wellington Hospital trustees for 2r. 17.32 p. of the hospital trustees' lands. The location of the lands has already been fully referred to. Power is also given the govcrucr-ir-Council to grant leases of 51 acres of tr.iMount View Reserve under the provision.-: of tho Public Bodies Leases Act. Power .i further given to cut up aud road the prperty. NAVAL SUBSIDY. Tho Naval Subsidy Bill, as indicated tho Primo Minister, proposes to raise I subsidy to £100,000 per annum LOCAL AUTHORITIES SUPERANNUATION. Tho Local Authorities Superannuation Bill provides for the establishment by any local authority (a borough council, county council, town board, road board, harbour board, fire board, hospital board, charitable aid board, hospital and charitablo aid board, or any body possessing rating-powers over, any distinct), if it thinks 'fit,..of .a eujjerannuation

fund for persons in its service. : The fund, must be created by resolution of the body, which resolution,-before taking'effect, must be confirmed by Order-in-Council. ' • Every fund must'be vested in; the Publib Trustee,''who; : shall invest all such moneys according to prescribed regulations. ; . Subject, to, the>Act and;to"such' regulations every fund ; shall be administered by ,; the local authority as it thinks'fit. AH expenses incurred in establishing the .fund or in its administration is to come out .of the ordinary rovenue of the local authority. The local authority is ,to guarantee to contributors! the solvency of the' fund, and shall from time to time pay into the fund, in additiorito the subsidy, such sums as may be required to. meet all claims. i The subsidy to be paid into the fund by the local body is to be calculated as a percentage of the total contributions -paid into the fund during the year. All sums payablo into the'fund by a local' authority shall constitute a debt due-by the local authority to the publio trustee, and shall,be recoverable. ':. ..■ ' ' ' 1 An'examination of the fund is to be made each triennial year. Part' 11. of/the Act provides as follows:— Any qualified person in the service of the local authority may 'become a contributor., ' (IV The contributions to be 'riiade to the fund by' a contributor sliall be. tho following percentage of his salary,' and; shall be ■ deducted from, his salary as. it becomes able from time to time:—(a) Fiye per cent, if his age does not,' exceed 'thirty'.years .at the time when the first contribution becomes payable;. (b) Six" per cent, if' his age then .exceeds thirty' years but does not exceed thirty-five years;, (c) .Seven' per cent, if his age then exceeds thirty-five" years but does Dot exceed forty years;. (d) [Eight - per cent.; • if his age then exceeds forty years but does 'not' exceed foity-five year's; (e)',-Nine per: eont. if, his age then exceeds forty-five years j but does ont, exceed fifty yearsj arid (f) Ten per cent/ if his age then exceeds fifty _years. | After -three months', disconnection with -tho service of the authority the . contributor shall j cease to be a membor of tho fund. ..i; j Every male contributor of .not'less than forty years! service, and,not'less,.than,sixtyfive years of age, and every feinale .of thirty years' service and fifty-five years of. age, shall be' entitled--to'< ! a retiring 'ajlowarice; as follows For every year- of - service/- one-sixtieth ■ part of the' annual salary, and for. every fraction of 'a year of that-length of service., th? contributor shall receive a proportionate part. In no case is ,the retiring allowanec to exceed : two-thirds of the salary. • v Every contributor retiring with the conBent or. by /direction' of the :body on _ the ground of medical unfitness 7 .shall. 1 be entitled to receive a retiring allowance for' life, com-' puted as above.. ; ; :;' is, made: for. retiring allowances to annuitants' who re-enter the seryice of the body. •••.'• -• : ■.' ' L A contributor may,, on his retirement from the service of -the /. authority,-: elect,' at any time before accepting- the- first-instalment of his, retiring allowance, tcTaccept a sum equal to the total amount of his contributions;to the fund in lieu of his retiring allowance, in' .which -case he 'shall:-be.'.entitled;, to receive that suin- accordingly, but no further sum shall be'-payable out of". the-; fund, in; the event of .his death. " V ;: r'

If before/a contributor becomes - entitled to a retiring 'allowance he cbmpulsorily retires, for any cause other than misconduct, he shall be entitled .to a.refund of jthe whole' amount contributed to the fund,, with compound interest.. If any male contributor . leaves a /wife, there shall be paid out of tho fund to the widow at her.election either an annuity of eighteen pounds during her widowhood ;''ot the amount; of the contribution's made by ,the'deceased'to':the fund; less any sums received by r him-from the fund. in. his 'lifetime;'. To compute ' a.' retiring allowance a . contributor's salary shall' be; deemed: to ;be the average, salary ' for the threel years'. immediately ' preceding.V"''' . , • If before a contributor becbmes'entitled'to a retiring allowancehev voluntarily retires' from/ihe service of .the local/authority, /or.id ; dismissed - from that service, on. account of. ihiscbAdpt/ he shall I 'be entitled to a' r&fiiid l l of the whole amount contributed by him to the fund,' but' Without interest.: Children left under the age of 14 will receive ss. -a week until 14/ years of age. Provision is made for cases whsro the local authority'pays compensation under the .Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act.' -i OLD ACE PENSIONS. The Old Age Pensions-Act Amendment Bill changes the title of Registrar to that of Coinmissioner> of ;01d Age, Pensions, and t makes the present Deputy-Registrars into Registrars..' ; It also. provides Jhter. alia that',. Interest on -a life assurance;policy or'an annuity (purchased from an assurance company shall, not be deemed to be accumulated property , under tho principal Act. :'/ /;/ ■ To ascertain . whether an- applicant; for a pension isv.entitled: thereto; and, fixing the. rate of the' first year's pension, ■!his income for the last, preceding .'year shall be deemed to be his yearly income, and his property at' the end of that year. shall.be deemed to .be his accumulated property, but if the Magistrate is- satisfied that, his.' income for the current'year .will probably not exceed £60, he .may take that as the income. A Magistrate may suspend a pension cer-, tificate on conviction of ; the recipient for drunkenness 'Or any offence punisnable by one month's, imprisonment, such suspension to be for any not exceeding six months; if twice convicted, the suspension not'to exceed twelve months.; Habitual drunkards : (in the legal sense) and those twice convicted of an olfence dishonouring them in the public estimation, and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, shall have their ■ pension certificates cancelled. The, pension will then be absolutely forfeited,. :and no application for a hew pension may be made within' twelve months./ In the meantime; all • instalments of pension, will.be.forfeited.' . •• . If, on the death of a pensioner,* any money is owing to a .charitable .institution ,on his. behalf, the minister may direct that the. money, or a part of it shall be paid to tho institution.