RETRENCHMENT MOVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 72, 24 February 1931, Page 6

RETRENCHMENT MOVE.

RETIREMENTS FROM PUBLIC SERVICE.

(By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) AVELLINGTON, Feb. 24.

It is anticipated that Parliament during the emergency session will be asked to amend the Public Service Superannuation Act with the object of facilitating the retirements of employees who normally are within a few years of obtaining superannuation allowances. . ■ . . , The Public Service is not seriously overstaffed, but great economy could be secured by this proposal, particularly if it were extended to the Railway Department which, in the opinion of the recent Roy'al Commission, is overmanned. Defence retrenchment was secured last year by similar legislation, a clause in the Finance Act empowering any member of the Permanent Force, or clerical branch, who was compulsorily retired through no fault of his own "to secure a superannuation allowance if at the time of retirement the addition of five years to his age or length of service would enable him to obtain superannuation as a right. The extension of this provision to all other branches of the State service would enable the Government to retrench on pension any permanent employee with 35 year’s service or on reaching the age of 60 years.

AIASS AIEETING AT OAMARU. Per Press Association. OAAIARU, Feb. 23. A mass meeting of Civil Servants was held in Oamaru to-night to discuss the recent statement of the Prime Minister.

Alembers of the Press and Air J. A. Macpherson, member for Oamaru, were excluded from the meeting and at the conclusion of the discussion it was intimated that there was no communication to be made to the Press.