THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 20

THE PUBLIC SERVICE

LOWER PAID SUPER ANNUITANTS. CHRISTCHURCH, January 14. At the first annual meeting of the Association of Superannuated Public Servants to-day the following resolution was carried: “We respectfully, but most emphatically, protest against the Government_ discontinuing after March 31 next the assistance it is now giving to the lower paid superannuitants, and that we have the same just right to this assistance on account of the very greatly increased cost of living as the present members of the publio service who are, in every case, assisted; further, that wo are much more in need of it; that as there is no near prospect of the cost of living being appreciably reduced in the principal essentials of life, we claim that the assistance to the superannuitants should be continued as it is given to those still in the public service.” It was decided to 'write to the Prime Minister as follows: —“We, the members of the Association of Superannuated Public Servants of New Zealand respectfully request that you will kindly ascertain from the Home Government what has been done by it in granting permanent and temporary assistance to superannuated public servants, and to convey to us the result of such inquiries. We regret that your Government has not given us n square deal as compared with the Home Government in its dealings with its public servants, seeing that you are thoroughly Imperialistic and are professedly following in its steps. You have stated in Parliament that New Zealand was in a better financial position than the other countries of the world. Why this exceptional treatment to the public servants of New Zealand? It has been decided that the time has now come to ask the Government to consolidate the whole of the public superannuation funds into one public service superannuation fund.’’