TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 86, 8 October 1930, Page 13

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

The Legislative Council met at 2.'M p.m. to-day. The Eating Amendment;. Bill was reported from'tlic .Statutes Revision Committee, which recommended that the Bill should not be allowed to proceed, but-should be referred to the Government. • The Committee also recommended that the Local Polls and Elections Amendment Bill should not be allowed to proceed. The Hon. Sir James Allen asked the Leader, of the Council whether the order of reference given to the Committee set. up by the Government to inquire into and report on the position of the superannuation funds has been laid -on the tablo as directed by the Council on 12th September, and if not, •would the Government take stops to have it.presented without delay. The Hon. E. Masters replied: "There was no formal order of reference drawn lip and given to the Committee set up by the-Government to inquire into and report on the position and matters affecting the superannuation funds. On inquiry, I am advised as follows: — "As the result of inquiries made by the then Minister of Finance, the Eight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, P. 0., G.C.M.G., ■ reference was hiado in the Budget of last' year to the unsatisfactory financial position ' of the' State superannuation ,funds. It. was stated in the Budget:— " 'I propose to set up an inquiry as soon as possible to investigate the position thoroughly and report to the Government on the state, of the funds, and generally as to what should be done to place superannuation for Public servants'on a satisfactory footing.' "On 7th March of this year the Government formally decided that a'Committee, consisting of the Public Ser- ■ vice Commissioner (who was to act as chairman), the Financial Adviser to the Government (Mr. B. E. Hay^s), and three others, one to be appointed by •each .of. the three Superannuation ■ Boards concerned controlling the Public •:.Service; Railways, and Teachers' Superannuation Funds, should be set up to inquire into and investigate the whole ''position. The Committee was not com- : pleted untilt he end of May of this year. The nominees of the various superannuation funds were:—Public Service Ihmd, Mr. J. W. MacdonaldJ Public Trustee; Railway Superannuation Fund: Mr. H. H. Sterling, General Manager; Teachers' Superannuation .Fund:'- Mr. A. Bell, Assistant, Director of Education/ .': -

The various service and other organisations affected and the individual officers of the various services have been communicated with by circular, and asked to submit any matters for consideration; A great number of representations dealing with anomalies as between the funds and also the National Provident Fund have been made. '. "It is intended that a complete reView of the whole ■• matter should be

made, and that as far as possible those making the representations would be given ait Opportunity of being heard 'personally in regard, to the various points'which have been raised. "It is further considered, however, that the inquiry should stand over until the conclusion of the present session, as the members of the Committee are-all administrative officers, busily engaged in. departmental and .Parlia--meritary work, who could not give the necessary time during the present sitting of Parliament to complete, the exhaustive 'inquiry which will foe-.necessi-tated; ■■ i- ■■■■■•■ ■'■ '•' • -■'■■ '='■>■-• .'.,: ' "lit'yiew of the extensive nature of the inquiries in.volved.it is not anticipated that the investigations will be completed and the report available for consideration by Parliament until next session. ■■.'■■.

"It is not the intention of Government to limit in any way the scope of Inquiry to any particular phase of the funds by a formal order of reference, but it was considered the Committee would review not only the financial position of the funds, but the several anomalies existing as,affeeting individual employees in the various' services without any restriction."

Moving the committal of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum Bill,: the Leader of the Council (the Hon. B. Masters) referred to^the amendments which had been made in the constitution 6i the board by the Statutes Eevision Committee. He said the Committee had felt that the New Zealand Institute was not sufficiently represented. ■• Beferring to the deletion of the Mayor of Palrherston North and the Mayor of Masterton from the board; Sir. Masters said the Committee felt that other boroughs and counties in the 'district had an equal right to representation.

So far as the life- appointments were concerned, the Committee felt that a precedent was being created in making Jife appointments by statute. That, however, was not strictly the case, as" Sir Harold Beauehamp had been appointed to the board last year. He thought it would be admitted that the three, gentlemen concerned—Sir Harold, Mr. Shirtcliffe, and Mi. Troup—had done a wonderful work for the museum. When, the Bill went into Committee he proposed' to move a new clause giving the Governor-General power to appoint three members of the board for seven

years, with the right of reappointment. That would overcome the objection and woiUd enable the services of the three gentlemen to be suitably recognised. (Proceeding.)