A BOON FOR THE WORKERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 7 November 1912, Page 4

A BOON FOR THE WORKERS.

It is perhaps not surprising that tho Government should have found it .necessary to appoint lecturers to tour the Dominion for the purpose of bringing prominently before the public the advantages claimed for the National Provident Fund. Although there -was a good deal said about the Act when it was passed' in 1910, there has since been no sustained effort to make known what the fund really means to the people. It 'is all very* well to say that the fund having been created far the benefit of the people, tho people should take advantage of it. They must be •informed as to the facts before they can bo expected to take action, and the only way to inform them is by systematic publicity. For instance, the National Provident Fund w.as designed us a boon for the workers —oinly those whoso average income does not exceed £200 a year are entitled to join—yet Jiow many workers have had it borne in upon them that this fund "offers facilities for voluntary thrift.on a basis of mutal contributions by the State and the individual exceeding the provisions of any other known State system, in the liberality of its benefits and the extremely low contribution rate." Briefly stated, airy person may become a contributor to. the fund who is a resident of New Zealand, over 1(5 and under 45 years of <age, and whose average /income during three years-; pritor-to joining has not exceeded £200 ia year. By the payment, of ninepence ia week >a lad of 17 may secure for himself a pension of ten shillings a week at 60 years of age, as well as the following benefits: After contributing for 12 months, «. payment not exceeding £G for medical 'attendance and .nursing on the birth of a contributor's child or children; after contributing for five years, ian aillow•ance after- three months' incapacity to work of 7s &d per week for each

child of a contributor under fourteen years of age, payablo independent of any allowances due from friendly societies, and no contributions payable while in receipt of incapacity allowance; after Contributing for five years, an 'allowance on the death of a contributor of 7s 6d per.week for each child until 14 years of age, and 7s Gd per week for the widow so long as any child is under fourteen years of age. A man of 24 has to pay Is 2d per week to secure these benefits, a man of thirty Is 8d a week, and so on, and the amount of the pension at sixty years of age (which pension doers not affect any rights under tho Old Ago Pensions Act) may be increased by a higher weekly payment up to 3s a week on the part of a lad of 17 to secure a pension of £2 a week at the age of sixty. It is only tho ■assistance of a State subsidy that enables such generous treatment for so small a contribution. The conditions aro simple in the extreme. Xo medical inspection is necessary oh joining. A person desiring to obtain the benefits has only to fill in a form and pay his contributions. If he finds a difficulty at any time in keeping up his payments, liberal latitude is allowed, and if he loaves the fund under any circumstances he irs entitled to a. refund of all his contributions, less any benefits he may have received. It will thus be s-cen that the fund offers every inducement- to the workers to provide not only for expenses incidental to the growth of the family, but for sickness and old age as well. The official le-ctur-. or who is at present visiting Wanganui should have no difficulty in interesting a large number of workers in the- benefits of tho scheme.