RAILWAY INSURANCE CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LV, Issue 9958, 20 July 1893, Page 4

RAILWAY INSURANCE CONFERENCE.

T'i<3 couT^fcis% 10.30 ft.m. Tlk ( I h'\inn'».n {Ac M-Kofiua), lAonn 1 * ai>«l ttiigo, v/h.« iK.d b<;on appointed ft deputation to wait on the Commisaionera to obtain infjrrnation »h to fcbo bs*riug of 01. 5, oahf»ojtion C, oo the Rscllepb and nJok pay noav granted to the rv.Uvry em« ploycoa under the ru'ea and regnlat.'ooß of tho eervi-o, reported thrit the Coinmie* nioners had promised to extend the present privilogco rflfl jcotlug fciok pay toallempioyew, and had stated lhac if this c!a.-«o was rirlotod It wnnM bo oqnWabnit to reducing tho retiring ftgo to 60 years at the present o'intrihutlori. Ifc v/a*. therefore, resolved Hnfc thb claaoo be deleted from the Bill, and th&t a letter ho sent to the Com mis (domra thanking them for tho very voluable concession eiclc pay which they have prornl-td. Au to clause 0, subsection 2, it was resolved that two teparato t-'ibJofl cl contribution!) be prepared, odo providing for retiring allowance, ond one for endow* iner.t polioy, any employee to bo allowed to contribute to either benefit, or both, contribution:) t > bo reduced to the lowest po»* elide limit. It was agreed that six days constitute a w*vU. Clause 6, sub-JceUon 5 —lt was resolved that riovonirnent boas I **, d to subsidise the fund to tho extent of not hum than. 2d per cent of the total contributions of tho employees. Clauses 7 and 8 were Clause it to be bo amended, oo a* to reduce oge of rofcirernont to 0J y-art, find that it should bo at tho option of tho employe* whether ho r Ur.s at that age or not. It was a)«<o decided to add another douse, providing for retirement at tho ag« of 55 yea's of any employes who dftffiro to do so by paying ft larger oontnba* tion, and that iu drafting the Bill the Cora* niiaviononi ho asked to furnUh tables show* In;' tho contributions which would have to bo’ paid la each case. Claasfl 10. -Subnpcilonn 1 nail 2 were i*pp oven with exo: p* tion of age reading 00 instead of 0y yosrs. A further recommendation was made, pro* viding that ctnplojees who so detdred could, by paying on increased contribution, provide for half-piy j-upornnuuatloa allov/ance. It was resolved that clause 11, roUtiog to pick allowance, bo cancelled, and that clauuo 12 bo made to road in conformity with clause 5. subsection A, and that provisions re bonus under clause 22 bo inserted. Clansoa 13 and 15 v/fTO approved, and cl«uao 14 cancelled, as it waa considered unfair that an employee should bo deprived of a benefit to which ho i; justly entitled, by virtue of having paid contributions to secure it. Tho conference adjourned until 9 o’clock tbia morning.

Lithe House of Kepreoontatireo yesterday Mr Esrnshaw asked why tho Railway Commissioners had given leave of absonoo I.) certain employees to attend a conference in Wellington regardiog their insurance scheme, and had refused similar leave of nh-.ODOO to cinplo eos to attend another conference fir a similar ohjeofc, and represent' log the largest proportion nf their employees, ile said that the deisgates now assembled in Wellington were not here by the request ef tho employees. He declared, as tho President of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway .Servants, that that society had had no knowledge that thsao delegates wore coining to represent them ; and whatever decision ihoy come to would not be tho decision of the railway workers. Mr Huokland : That’s nonsense. Tiro Premier said that tho reply of the Commissioners was that th y had given leave to delegates to attend n conference in Wellington, and that they understood that those delegates represented a majority of the workmen. They had not rofnsed loayo of absence to similar delegates. Mr Sodden went on to say that it was a matter of opinion whether delegatee should bo railed together to discuss legislation which had not yet come before tho Government, It was, ho continued, correct that leave was refused to employees to attend in Wellington,