THE RETIRING AGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20867, 6 November 1929, Page 8

THE RETIRING AGE.

IS A MAN TOO OLD AT SIXTY? VIEWS OF PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER. (Ffcoit Ora Parliamentaet Reporter.) WELLINGTON, November 5. Is a man too old for work at 00? That question is raised by comments made by the Public Service Commissioner (Mr P. rschaffelt) in his annual report which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. -Discussing the retirement of officers, Mr Verschaffelt says that except in a few isolated and special cases -the policy of retiring officers in conformity with the provisions of the ; Public Service Act on attaining 65 years of age, has been continued. In a .limited number of cases younger officers who have qualified by virtue of having 40 years’ service and officers who have less service, but who are 60 years of age, have exercised their right to retire on superannuation.- The matter of the retirement of officers before 65 years of age has excited comment in some directions. On the one hand it is considered that early retirements involve an undue strain on the superannuation funds, and in some cases a loss of valuable services to the State. Experience shows that except in rare cases the advantage' lies , in the practice of retiring officers after 40 years’ service- on reachi.ng. of age. .After 40,years’ service there is rarely- that keenness of ambition with which the yonnger officer is imbued, and. there is a tendency for officers nearing the statutory retiring age to adopt a laissez faire attitude In situations which are likely to become embarrassing or involved. On the other hand, in a few cases officers who are drawing superannuation are also filling fairly remunerative positions outside the service, allegedly on an .unfair basis competitively, because of the fact that they are on superannuation. Such an attitude- entirely overlooks that every unit of society is perfectly justified in remaining a producing unit so long as he is physically capable of so doing, and that in the long run it is an economic advantage for him to do so. The superannuation is an officer’s “ surplus of production-” in other words, his accumulated excess of income over expenditure. The amount contributed by the State is in the nature of a deferred payment for services rendered by him, whilst the major portion is bought by the officer himself as an annuity. The officer in taking up private business is practically in no way dissimilar to the private citizen who, from the store of his savings embarks npon a new venture towards the evenin ß of his career. It may be suggested if the officer is physically fit to take up private work on retirement that he should uot be retired, bnt it must be borne in mind that these are exceptional cases. The general experience, as stated above, is that it is an advantage to retire officers in conformity with the Statqte. Both in the interests of the service and in the interests of the staff it would be impracticable and undesirable to institute any proposal that would involve differential treatment for these odd cases.