SUPERANNUATION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1913, Page 7

SUPERANNUATION

FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES "IN THE EVENING OF THEIR OAYS."Superannuation for municipal em ployees was one of the subjects on the agenda paper at the meeting of the Executive and Legislative Committee of the Municipal Association of New Zealand to-day. Reporting in connection with the deputation from the association which waited on the Prime Minister recently in connection with the scheme, Mr. T. F. Martin, the secretary, said that the Minister wanted the proposal to come from the association. The Government did not seem willing to take the responsibility of initiating a scheme. The Mayor (Mr. J. P, Luke) said that the Minister had been very sympathetic, and recognised that an important principle was involved. He had expressed the opinion that the municipalities should develop a scheme, to be submitted to the Government The Minister and the deputation were one on the great principle that all municipal employees should be included in the scheme. Mr. Massey had expressed pleasure that the Wellington Harbour Board had taken the matter in their own hands and provided a scheme of their own. He qualified that statement, however, by adding that it would be better for all the local bodies to come into the larger scheme. Personally, his opinion was that the association should set to work to prepare a scheme to make provision for municipal employees in the evening of their days irrespective of the provisions of the National Provident Fund. Under the scheme the State, the local bodies, and the employees themselves would contribute to the fund. Mr. R. Fletcher (Wellington) said it was th« duty of municipal bodies to provide for their employees in their old age. If & compulsory clause were brought into force it would mean that some of the emaller boards would be unable to find the necessary funds. .He would like to see the City Corporation, the Harbour Board, and the other large bodies amalgamate in a scheme, and, later, a national 'scheme to be brought into operation. He did not think the Government would bring in a compulsory scheme unless it was prepared to subsidise the funaller bodies. Mr. C. Cathie (Karori) pointed out that a hardship would be inflicted on smaller local bodies by a compulsory scheme, although he agreed that some scheme was very desirable. Mr. W. Look (Nelson) also supported the proposal. On the motion of the Mayor, it was decided that the Executive and the Leg' islative Committee be a committee to formulate a scheme to be submitted to tin next Municipal Conference.