SUPERANNUATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 695, 21 December 1909, Page 5

SUPERANNUATION.

|V:Of ;^rI^CT^IO^(:bSPOSED.^ ;;'',^;^cMi f .SEiIVICEI. JJEptfTATiON.,.' VJ .;■' i". ..'A ; ;depiitat:on freitresonting ■' the. Civil 'Service : Asscciarion,'' : -arid:':in>ro ; duc'ed;' by-iMr.-.E;.Tre;-; 'gear;. (frcswent)iwa:te<l : up6n-the : Prime '"Min-isfcr-XSir". Joseph .■'Vy.o.rd)'. yes.tefdayr'vwith'.referr ienceVt'o*-' -the.■'■■public ;:B*rv.ice. -Superannuation' -•bul;;>>x::^y'' i = ~ :';;: .^- : -- : : ,; : .v>li'vMfi". Gi-'AUport,-; said;; the: : association: desired tov!thank .'the■ .Government "for ,; many,:ofhthe ! ; .pr6vi4ion3':i6i ",the-''Bill,:''but .regarded .-.Section' ;b ; tionable.'i.'Jlany ;of ithe :contributoi's:had; coni-.ho-was.'a , member.':of the .boardji- , and-lie'.-found that;,'they, regarded'. the. clause <-. as':a'.breach of.conttact." :'■ He.,the're-■fore'.asfed-.'the' Primp,:Milu.sfer : 'if'ho : could?do ::, away,'lwitn-.;,th€i/retrospecjiYe: action, ■ of "■■■the ■(cJftuse/s/.Th'eiqonfraet'.jvliiicii',^^had Been.enteied 'into- 'wi f ,li V tlio' present .'members' of,-the 'service 's.hoald ,n6t'.bJ9',trjiken.' v There ivofe:'onlylt who :'iyere' getting..6ver'."ii2s0 I v,-.which' was "tho/limit : oil' the.'rMiring '. allowance .-as-; proposed'vihi tlio;I .■Budgeti-'-r-'T.lioV.prp'iiosed"•'Unut'-.-had- since, becni raised'. tpivESOO,'] ahdi-thero':iw.ould h>, still'fewer to'receiyo: If : thc're:ivas-to ,bo, ft liniitaHdn -iiS proposed,.the contributions:of lowered.,,;..The iretrospeotive';. '■. legislation ■ proweaken, the: confidence-,bf civil Bsrvants;ii) ; the fnrid. "They;believed tho tu'nd-.would•iibeSactuarially.'iEound, 'even ■ if higher.pension's ; wfiro.'paid. :, ; :The did not 'Object, to'/any'; other! part'.of: t;ho Bill."/' '"/' V'.Mt.': Edwards,' 'rtprcsenting 'the>.Post\ -'arid - Telegraphy Deparinient, ■■voiced' a protest" 'on similar lines l to;'the;,last"spe4ker. - : l" v■■;•■'; :IThp;'Prime/\Minister,;in"reply, said: the' Governments proposed -".t0.;,, pay "-£it,W6 a' year ; into the fjind, for all.".time,."an'd, there, was':no contract -that,.; the'. Government should; do "-anything "of the kind.".lt : was a-voluntaiy' action to .ensure; the:'.absolute■ stability -of the'. fund. The.actuary Vhad reported/that after a .certain period;',the' G-oyernmentCwouldha.ve: to. pay ,a laTße,.sum: : int6 :tho,fund;:if it was; to;remain actuarially soimd.v-There"were'seme men , entitled ■ under ..yie'.original' Act ■ to pensions frbm ,£500;- to ;^Boo';;a.:yearT : pn.:retiring; Y'Jt fA -per' ceuti; of.; these ..caiiie' r ;upon: the,' fund-at. once it. -would; meali , a ','very Marge' snln : going but. 1t..".>-as .never /cbntemplited . that the ''• country should have'to pay'anything like "that. Anything year "would: be .recognised by/.most.Jie'Dple ..ai-avsalary,; rather than 'a p'ehsibn.','.lf .they 'ifero'not careful,' they would have; Parliame'at::.and' ; the ■■.country "Opposing .tho.payment..Of , the'subsidy, of -E28.000 ,a year, . and ; thb-further'-Slim, thst TV.ould-leijEire'to. bo; •paid"'later',on. ,-'i Tlie;limitationl proposed would not' affect; 150 bfilcprs inVthe "next '-10.- yea'rs,;'nbr another 150 ;;in'; the.. 10-.years ■ after.: that', 'Ho. would- move nn' dmeudmoiit' to allow -.those', af-. ; :.uow. limitation to .get , ; their inonby : .back..of bft', otherwise; ; safeguarded ■ .if thpy,> took' exception; t0.1t./.'He-would bb;glad to'/giye; full \corisidoratibn :'to tho,' ropresentatfpns.; Personally -he would not- object'.to holding' thp ;Bill.'. bvpr,:;bilt:-' he. was"• certain the matter was remain whore it was. ;Th'e service, could; not-expect to got tho;'ad-vanta'gesvth'o.-,;Govcrnnient. itas':giving: unless, they :',were\prepared '.to/ make some concession bn'.'thbir ipart.. 'Tho.'Jimitatiqn of pension was proposed, not .to* save "money, .but to ensure the , peaceful'presfirxation.'. of tte' system., :.'•