A CHRISTMAS BOX

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 147, 18 December 1924, Page 11

A CHRISTMAS BOX

TO WIDOWS AND CHILDREN,

Those widows and children of deceased members of the staff of the Wellington Harbour Board who are in receipt of superannuation pension benefits, arc to receive an unexpected Christmas box, for a proposal that additional payments should be made to them out of the unauthorised account funds, made by the chairman (Mr. G. Mitchell), was last evening unanimously adopted by the board.

From time to time, said Mr. Mitchell the board had passed resolutions askin°the Government to allow it to increase the pensions to widows and children by 100 per cent., the present pensions beino£lß per annum to widows and 5s per week for each child under fourteen years of age. The board, however, had not succeeded in getting the clause passed by Parliament, and, consequently, no additional payment could be made out of the superannuation funds He suggested, however, that the board fu 1"^/ 617? 11 make Srants oi £5 to the fifteen widows entitled to the pen sion and £2 to each of the fourteen children out of the unauthorised account. The board had full power to make such a grant, said Mr. Mitchell when a question was raised as to whether the Christmas boxes could be Wil Jy given. ° Several members warmly supported the proposal, which was affirmed by unanimous vote. .' J

There might be a. feeling, remarked the chairman, that if the Harbour lioird were to increase by 100 per cent, its allowances to widows and cliildivn other bodies would wish to follow suit, but, if that should be so, then the board would hnve done a very good turn to many others than those immediately connected with it, lbcre was no question that the allowance of £18 per annum to the widows was ridiculously low, and that, the allowances in respect of children was oven mom ijiieuUui.s.