Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8846, 24 June 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. MONDAY, JUNE 24, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

ALL social reformers are desirous of r-euiug established a universal scheme for old age pensions by which thrifty persons may provide for their old age. The present system is not satisfactory, as it must grow year by .year a greater burden on the nuances of the country as the population increases and also because it makes no demand on those who .are earning good wages to provide for themselves hi old ago. There are tion schemes in connection with the police, railway servants and teachers but these have been planned With a total disregard of sound finance and will require constant subsidies from public funds. It is therefore of great interest to find details of a sound proposal contained hi the report by Mr G. Leslie on the superannuation scheme which the Municipal Association lias been investigating. The figures show that there is little hope of providing for old servants of the Councils without great expense, but they also demonstrate the value of ] comparatively small contributions continued throughout the whole ■ working life. Most people would like to combine a pure pension scheme with some form of life insurance so that in case of death a return might be received by the family of the deceased for the contributions made. Any concession of this kind naturally reduces the pension and in the case of municipal employees the right to withdraw the amount contributed if they leavo the service is a further complication. As however, we are considering the question from a national standpoint, we will simply take the two cases of a pension pure and simple and that of a pension with return of contributions, without interest, in case of death. If we turn to the tables for an answer to the question that subscription would be necessary to acquire a pension equal to the present old age pension of 10s a week, we find that it could bo attained by a contribution of £1 per annum every year from 17 to 64, taking interest at 4 per cent. There aro few persons in this country who could not afford to pay the 4J*<d per week which would produce this result and it would bo a much more satisfactory arrangement than having a pension doled out after examination before a magistrate. It is unnecessary to give many figures but we may mention that a man who at 20 years of age began to pay£l a year and continued it till (i 4 would receive a penson of £2-3 Gs 2d, or if he had the right to have his contributions returned in case of death would receive a pension of £lB 4s 9d should lie survive till GS. We think that Government would do well to permit annual contributions towards pensions to be mado through the Savings Banks. Clear statements should be published as to the benefits to be attained and it should be possible to deposit larger sums when possible. Thus in a prosperous year a man might put aside £5 or £lO, which should either produce a greater pension or be used to supply tho. defect of payments in other years. It is hard for people to save at all, but Government should offer every inducement to encourage those who desire to provide for old ago.

THE management of the affairs of a country by the people .for the people is one of those phrases which though attractive to tiio ear is not altogether satisfactory as a practical policy. In matters of legislation it is true that popular government produces results which are, on the whole, at least as good as those of any other form of government, but when the functions of government are extended to business affairs the control exercised by the peoplo becomes quite insufficient. It; is generally admitted that Government undertakings are carried out with little economy, and that people will put up with treatment from officials which they would never bear from private peron3. So long.as the mismanagement of public enterprises is not absolutely notorious the people will bear it with hardly a murmur until such abuses occur that public opinion is really aroused and makes a clean sweep of inefficient officials, only to be lulleil into a state of false security which lasts until some new awakening conies. It is easy enough to find evidence in New Zealand of the truth of these general statements. If wo turn to the administration of the Railway Department, we note the perennial complaints as to the shortage of trucks, which the authorities permit to continue in spite of the loudest protests. Even in the matter of the safety of the lives of passengers the Government fails to take steps which it would not hesitate to compel private i companies to adopt. When a railway accident occurs owing to the absence of the tablet system wo are informed that tho system is gradually being extended, and public opinion accepts this as a sufficient excuse for gross neglect. In the minor matter of foot-warmers, the present cold weather has only succeeded in providing an assurance that they will be provided shortly. In Municipal enterprises the same easy going methods apply. In old countries where gas is supplied by private companies they are compelled to maintain a certain standard of illuminating power, and 'to purify gas before sending it out to consumers, and analyses and tests are constantly being made by skilled examiners to ensure that the conditions aro observed. With our Municipal gasworks tho quality of gas supplied depends entirely on the personal "qualities of the gas manager, who is often tempted to cut clown the cost of purification to a minimum and to use the cheapest coal regardless of the illuminating ■. power of the gas supplied. Fortunately the introduction of the incandescent mantle has made gas of high illuminating power less necessary than formerly, but the public have no protection against the jiresence of compounds of sulphur in the gas. We alluded the other day to the overcrowding in Municipal tramcars, which the authorities take no steps to prevent, and there are a thousand other points in which Government and Municipal management fails to produce the best results. At present the existence of private undertakings acts as some-sort of model for.-the management of public busijie'sses, but when the Socialists have handed everything over to Government the public will have to become resigned to general inefficiency in every department.