NATIONAL ANNUITIES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1908, Page 4

NATIONAL ANNUITIES.

EXTENSION OF SUPERANNUATION SCHEME. PROPOSALS OF THE GOVERNMENT. In his speech at Auckland last night, Sir Joseph Ward, after pointing out the benefits to be conferred on the Public Service by the Classification and the Superannuation Acts, said this suggested to his mind tho importanco 6i going further in this direction. He proposed to give an opportunity to tho employees of municipalities?, harbour boards, county councils, road boards, and all our local public bodias to come under such a magnificent scheme. He did not, of course, suggest that it should be niado a matter of compulsion, but he felt confident that those, concerned would recognise- tho value and advantages of such a system bein:» brought into operation. Then theio came th© question 'of tho larger number of people- in the Dominion itself who would not come under the category of public employ? as or those, he had named. Ho proposed to submit a scheme next session of Parliament, which he thought would be recognised as a woll-thought-out one, under which reasonable provision for every section of the community under a system o£ annuities would bo provided. Thi3 would require to be worked in connection with the important life insurance office carrying on business in the Dominion. They had now the old age pension scheme as well as a large sco rion of the people in our public service provided for under a superannuation system, and he thought it was but tight and logical that the extension of it upon safe lines should exist to on« able others to avail themselves of doing that which was of such great value to a large section $1 the peoplo of our \ countf^i ' "