NATIONAL ANNUITIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10604, 5 November 1910, Page 1

NATIONAL ANNUITIES.

THE PILL IN COM Mil lEE ABSENTEE CON'l RIIU' lORS . J B> Telegniph. (From Our- Own Correspondent) -> -; "Wellington, November 4. /I'li'c'.Oommittee-stage of tlie National Pioviderit Bill was sarelj negotiated in the. Housed to-night, and the measure mav new be added to the list of important Bills that, have aheady become law piactically this session The principal discussicn lerohed round the case '<*£• contnbutors who might leave the countiy.duiing the time of their insurance, "but the difficulty was overcome by the insertion of a judicious proviso suggested by the- Pi line Minister. When the Bill was committed Mr •Janips Allen asked if*, the Prime Minister, had considered the possibiht\ of making the Bill universal Anjonc over 16 could enter trie fund, but a person with an income exceeding C2OQ could not 30111. What would happen if a man took out an annuity and left New Zealand 0 The Prime Mimstei leplied that it was not pioposed to eai-maik people and make them stay in New Zealand. The contiact would be kept up so long as they paid the premium. He would unequivocally say "No" to the pioposal to make the system umvcisal. It was intended to benefit the poor man, particulailj those with a wife and family. Anyone over 16 years of age could join the' fund and got fOl ninepence a w cek a pension on letning-age oi £26 per annum Tins was getting as neai universal as was sale. Mi Masscy (Leadei of the Opposition) said that foi once he did not agiee-vwith Mr Allen, foi he was not m iivoi of making the scheme universal He wished to give it a good tiial, but the Piime Minister should not allow a man to take advantage of the scheme and reside elsewhere

ihe Prime Mimstei pointed out that clause 18 gave the boaid powei to cancel the contiact and leiund the contnbutions if the contiilmtoi ceased to leside 111 New Zealand,

Mi R A Wnght mgcd thai men who earned £4 wceklj should bo included making the maximum £2B TJie possibiliU of "Buds oi passage" being peimiltcd to 30m the fund was lem.ukcd b\ Mi A. S Malcolm The J'limf Mimstei said that he was not nropaied to extend the scheme any further. , The Hill .was intended to c(\pi cases wheio men weie not able to niakc leasonable piovision ioi themsches It might lx> possible to make i"\ Y*\tonsion artei j, lev jeais. Mi Allen and othei spVakeis that if a man alloi loining the iund went awa-\ fiom New Zealand foi .1 It n<!. teim he should not leeeue the iull benefits

Sir Joseph Waid said that ho. u is piepaied to cousidei the ad\ isabihU of providing that any one who remained awj.i> foi two jeais and upwaids should iocene no benefit while oul ol tho count'n ,He would mo\e an amendment to meet the case ol a contiibuloi who might go a-waf foi tuo puipobi ot btuch

A numbei of membeis who spoke 111 favoi of an extension weie lequosted Mi G. Lauienson to lemember that the Bill was but the fust step m a verj long journey The dav would come he l said, when New Zealand would ha\o a umveisal and compulsoiv system of insurances Some limit had to be fixed and he thought it had been put bj the Prime Minister at the right figuie On the clause dealing with pajment of contributions it was agreed, on the Pnme Ministers motion, that am poison who had ceased .to be a contrilnitoi might be readmitted on such con'ditions as the board might detoinimc In lcplj to suggestions that theio -should bo a searching medical examination of prospective contributors, the Prime Minister said that the five-joar term before benefits would accrue would, prevent imposition. For tho rest, v'-lii object ~w as to build up the fund. ,: 1 M moved a proviso that benefits accruing to a contributor from a friendly society should not be taken into consideration as mitigating his pecuniary loss in case of incapacity. Mr Herries said that the point involved sick pay from unions and similar institutions.

:The Prime Minister stated.that all these matteis had been considered. A sub-clause limited the payment during incapacity to the actual pecuniary toss He was quite prepared to considei fnendly societies and would accept Mr Stalinoilli\'s amendment. The amendment was agreed to and clause 16 was adopted. On the clause providing 1 for the payment of £6 towards medical expenses in every case of mateinitj, the Prime Mimstei secured an addition to ensuie that the contributor should be on the fund twelve months before receiving the payment. A new clause, was inserted oil the Pimie Minister's motion providing that no contributor be entitled tp any benefit undei the Act unless ho satisfied the hoaul that he had not at any time been anient tiom Ne,\ Zealand lor a lougoi penod ithan two jeais at one time 01 five \eais altogethei, provided that absence for the puiposo of education for not exceeding five veais should not'be taken into account. Ihe Piime Minister informed Mi Hemes (who suggested that such' a good scheme ought to be brought beioro the public) that the friendly societies department would administer the scheme, and it would be made public in the usual wa>, though thoie would be no canvassing. ,Another new clause,was moved by Mi James Allen, pioviding for the 25 pei cent, subsidy b\ tlie State being paid b> thg contributoi ll ho was absent fiom New Zealand. The Prime Mmistei said he would not agree to this, because the x'aynient or; contributions and subsidy in a lump '•um at long inleivals would depnye the fund of compound interest and would upset the actuallal calculations'. A man outside JS'ew Zealand could riot got sick or accident pa\ . * if theic weie to be numeious exceptions he would diop the five, ioais I altogethei. , ,'», The- ameiidinent w a*- deieated votes to 18. , r , < . >' * A clause inoved by'Mr Malcolm tha,t no contributor .should draw medical or benefit allowances wlnlst living" out pf Now Zealand was negatived by_2B"votes to 15. The schqdule was passed arid the Bill w{is repoited. * J ' ' ' •