FAITHFUL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 148, 24 June 1914, Page 10

FAITHFUL SERVICE

government messengers' " ' superannuation:. Speaking in reply to the toast of Parliament at the reunion of Government messengers last night, the Hon. H. D. Bell, Minister of Internal Affairs, had something to say regarding the superannuation allowance for retired messengers. His remarks on this subject, being of more material interest, were received with even greater pleasure than his graceful references to the relations which had always existed between Parliament, as a body, and the messengers themselves. "When I ro-entered Parliament two years ago," said Mr. Bell, "a question that had become a very vexatious one was that concerning the very old and faithful servants of Parliament, and there was a good deal of quiet debate amongst ourselves in the back room. Now, let me tell you that it was not until the Public Service Commissioner spoke to me that it was possible to mako the arrangements which have been made, and which, I trust, have been satisfactory to your body. (Hear, hear.) It is only just to say that Mr. Robertson was the first to put before me what was subsequently adopted. It is not quite complete yet, because there are some few whose cases still have to be considered. There should be before the messengers a fair piospect of something more than mere superannuation. (Hear, hear.) I hope that will be the case, and I hope you will believe that we have tried to set an example for making it the case. I -would not have referred to this to my hosts at all," concluded My. Bell, "but I wanted to say what was fair about the Public Service Commissioner." (Applause.)