Railway Insurance Scheme.

Star (Christchurch), 25 July 1893, Page 3

Railway Insurance Scheme.

[-BOM OUB SPECIAL COBBEBPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, July 24. The conference with the Premier on the subject of the Eailway Insurance Bill was attended by fourteen delegates. Mr M'Kenna, Chairman of the conference, said Mr Gray, the Secretary, would read the addresß which it was agreed should be presented, and would answer any questions Mr Seddon might put on the subject of the Bill. After reading the address, i Mr Gray, iv reply to the Premier, Btated the effect of the various amendments proposed in the Bill. On the clause stipulating that broken service should be counted as continuous, Mr Gray explained that this was to meet the case of men who might have gone on strike and re-entered the service j also, the case of workshops men, who had frequently broken time. The Premier asked if this would apply to tbe future as well as to the past. Mr M'Kerrow, the Chief Commissioner, said it would, though it was intended to refer more to the past than to the future, and to meet the case of men who had been on strike and returned to the railway service. No provision was made in the Bill as to certificates of past service, but the Board of Management would have power to make by-laws to meet that and other detail questions that would arise. Mr M'Kerrow agreed with Mr Gray's estimate that £5000 per annum would be the amount of the Government subsidy at 25 per cent on the contributions of all the present railway servants. In concluding his statement, Mr Gray said the deputation approached the Premier with confidence on this Bubject, because in 1883 he (Mr Seddon) had introduced a Bailway Bill which proposed a scheme of insurance, and it was considered by the employees a very good Bill. The Premier Baid the present scheme, if adopted, would assume very large proportions in future years. What about the cost of the departmental management of the fund ? Mr M'Kerrow said that the cost would be practically nothing. These contributions would be deducted from the monthly pay-sheets, and the payment of sick and retiring allowance would work automatically. He added that the Commissioners were desirous that the scheme should be selfsupporting; that the men's contributions Bhould meet sick and other payments, and that the Government guarantee of stability was the main thing to bo deßired. The Friendly Societies, of course, had similar benefits, but they were not always financially sound, and it might happen that men, after paying for the best part of their lives, might find the Society unable to meet its engagements. The Premier asked if the proposed benefits and contributions under the Bill were based on actuarial examination ? Mr M'Kerrow said the Bill as drafted by the Commissioners was so baßed, but of course the amendments proposed by the conference would make a great difference. Copies of last year's Bill had been sent to every person in the railway service, numbeiing 4500, and of these 1597 had replied expressing approval of the measure, which could thus be said to fairly represent ths opinion o. the .service. The Premier said the question was unique, and he might say unprecedented. A large number of servants of the Colony meeting in Wellington to consider legislation affecti-g themselves while Parliament was

i in session was a new departure, of which ho did not altogether approve ; but as the Commisßionei-s had accepted tho renj-onsi-bility of that course, ho had nothing more to say. The Premier asked for information as to how the Conference was appointed. Three roplied that they were appointed by public meetinga, and two Baid they were chosen by Committees elected at public meetings of employees. Mr Seddon stud he did not wish each delegate to reply. He would be glad to havo information aa to how many delegates in all wero appointed , by public meeting.-. No reply wan, however, made to his request for this information. The Oamaru delegate, speaking j from twenty-eight years' experience of j Friendly Societies, expressed the opinion i that tho passage of this Bill would not prejudicially affect such Societies, if the proposed amendment was retained making sick benefits payable out of revenue. H« agreed that it would be reasonablo for the Government to consider the interests of the Friendly Societies. Another delegate quoted from the Hansard report of a speech made by Mr Seddon on tbe Railway Bill in 1883, in reply to what the Premier had said about the attitude of the conference being • unprecedented. In his address ten years ' ago Mr Seddon had referred to the fact i that the railway employees in Victoria had met in conference and approved of insurance proposals similar to those in this Bill. The Premier said he adhered to what he had said about the unique nature of the recent conference in Wellington, and that in no way contradicted what he Baid in 1883. On the motion of Mr M'Kerrow, the deputation thanked the Premier, and withdrew, after an interview lasting an hour. The general impression conveyed was that the Premier is hostile to the Bill, and that there is no prospect of its being taken up by the Government in its present shape.