GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS SUPERANNUATION FUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 12

GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS SUPERANNUATION FUND.

(Fkoh Ottr Owx Correstokdent.)

WELLINGTON. Auguet 19. The Goiernment Railways Superannuation Fund Bill, ps brought down by the Saleot (-'omm'ttee to the House to-day,- does not differ materially from tbe measure as

amended by the Government, and already forwarded to you. There are some alterations, however. For imtaace, the first payment from the fund rmy be made on i>*ae Ist of Arnl nest instead of the following January. The pension payable to the mimjiv and children of a contributor r.'ho dies through an accident Bustamed en the railways hat. boon altered to include all who tiie, whether through accident or otherwee. In th" clause providing for the ais^s-ir.f'it of pension on the rat? of salary paid during the =e\en years pervious to th© contributor's retirement, an addition has bc-eii made providing for the payn.cnt of peiwon in the c.ioe of a contributor whose pay has been tfcmpoi«inly reduced, oi who has been tran=fcrred to a subordinate position owing to age or infirmity, on tho maximum rate of pay he received. Tho worke-io' coii.ppn^aiion clause has been altered to provide that where payment is m-ide for a death under the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act no benefit shall a.-orup rnder the brll, but -where total or part al disability occurs so that the contributor becomes medically unfit for further duty no allowance is to be paid under the bill dunug the period to which the worker's compensation payment re-la,te3, except so far a, the payment is less than such allowance. Provision is al*o made for the preservation of the right of contributors whose pay i=j temporarily stopped by the department on the grounds of ill health, notwithstanding they cannot contribute to the fund.

Since the bill was reported Mr Pirani baa represented to the Acting Premier the omission of any provision for counting the service of employees of the Midland Railway Company, who have since joined tho Governrnent Railways Department, and Sh? Joseph Ward will probably make provision to rotr.it prevous service in that ca c p as well as >n th*» r." c c of Manawatu ra'lway «*mp!oyc»-\ shon'd the Government pur* chaze tho latter line.

The npproarhng Coronation Holdb first place in conveifatioD. The world \vill till Edward crov ned, Th»n recommence its daily round ; While those ulio gave a loyal cheer May be dead v. ithin tho year. Unless for colds they do procure W. E. "Woqdb' Gbkax PaE?SBMSNX Cvvß*