SOCIAL LEGISLATION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 80, 5 April 1926, Page 8

SOCIAL LEGISLATION

CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS

FAMILY ALLOWANCES FOR CIVIL

SERVANTS

A BILL EXPECTED,

"When the Census is being taken on 20th April householders will be required to supply particulars as to their personal earnings.

It is believed that this information is being sought because of tho Government's intention to legislate along the lines of a national insurance, or national superannuation scheme. Hints of the likelihood of such legislation, which would be in the nature of an enlargement of the Natonal Provident Fund scheme, except that it would be compulsory and not voluntary, have been* made from time to time, and a Compulsory Contributing Pensions Bill may make its appearance during the coming session. Whether its provisions will cover invalidity and unemployment in a manner similar to the British Act under which the "dole" is payable has not been indicated, but from the nature of the financial questions to be asked of householders this month it is thought that the benefits of the proposed scheme of compulsory contributory pensions may not apply to those whose incomes are over £360 per annum.

In addition to the Contributory Pensions Bill, Civil servants expect a measure dealing with family allowances.

The "Public Service Journal" says that at a recent interview with service representatives, the Prime Minister mentioned that statistical data were being gathered for the purpose of estimating along conservative actuarial lines what steps the Government could take to bring some such scheme or a similar one into being, but that he spoke of the possibility of the Government limiting the payments to men receiving. £250 aud under.

The "Journal" says: "The executive committee o£ the association feels that half a loaf is better than no bread, but the number of men in the clerical division who arc in receipt of salaries of less than £250, are married, and who have children to support is so small as to make the proposal of. very little interest to the great majority in the lower classes.' It is true that many men in the general division will derive some benefit from the proposal. The executive committee feels, however, that the lot in life of the married man with a family in the lower paid groups is hard enough in all conscience to justify the contention that the amount beyond which no claim for allowance will bo entertained should be raised. At the present moment the Government is apparently merely looking into the various systems, and, so far as can be ascertained, there does not e«'ist either the necessary data or the avalable machinery to enable even preliminary steps to be taken to bring in any scheme into -existence.. It is interesting to note in.this connection that the Tree State Government in Ireland has passed legislation by which a scheme of family allowances is already in force in the Public Service. The salaries paid in Ireland are far from being of a princely nature, but advocates of the principle of family allowances must find some gratification in the adoption of this system in that country. It is also worthy of note that the Coal Commission, which recently concluded its investigation into the coal industry in Great Britain,, strongly recommended the introduction of a better means of distributing the wages fund and pointed out that payments in tho nature of family allowances a method best suited to overcome many of the e::isiting anomalies. In New Zealand, therefore, the proposal of the Coates Government to introduce the principle in the Public Service will be watched with keen interest, and the association will be called upon to observe closely the proposals incorporated in the Bill. Everything possible must be done to urge upon the Government the desirability of making the features of the Bill as liberal in application as is consistent with equity and justice to al concerned. It is, to say the least, a pleasing thing to be able to record that the association's efforts in this direction already show signs of being productive of beneficial results to the service as a whole."