PROVIDENT FUND AND FAMILY ALLOWANCE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20495, 14 March 1932, Page 15

PROVIDENT FUND AND FAMILY ALLOWANCE.

There are approximately 40,000 direct contributors to the National Provident Fund in the Dominion, including about 4000 in Canterbury. This does not include contributors who pay into the fund through the local bodies which employ them. A restriction on the benefits conferable under the fund was made last year, when it was provided that in the case of contribute rt joining after April 27th, 1931, the allowance for the birth of each child should be £4, instead of £6. The Commission recommends the abolition of the maternity allowance. The number of families taking advantage of the family allowance paid put

through the Pensions Department, has in the past year increased greatly throughout the Dominion. In the Canterbury district, comprising the area bounded by the Hurunui and Rakaia rivers in the north and south respectively, but not including the West Coast, there are at present approximately 1200 families receiving relief through this source. The Commission recommends the discontinuance of the allowance.

TRAINING COLLEGE ALLOWANCES. EFFECT ON STUDENTS. ADDITIONAL BURDENS ON PARENTS. That many students would be thrown back on their parents for help, because they would not be able to pay their way, was the effect of the proposed reduction of allowances to students being trained for teachers, anticipated by Mr J. G. Poison, Principal of the Christchurch Teachers' Training College. The proposal of the Commission was that a total of £52 a year should be substituted for the present £IOO a year, and Mr Poison considered that few students would be able to carry on under the reduced allowance. It simply meant •j said, that their parents would have to contribute towards their support during the years , they were at the training college. In most cases board amounted to £4B a year at least, and if the total allowances ambunted to £52 a year, there would not be much left wherewith to buy books and to meet incidental expenses. The effect of making a cut, practically of 50 per cent., without warning would be to create a sense of unfairness, even after making due allowance for the fact that circumstances demand sacrifices all round. Accommodation at Training College. Regarding tho proposal to close tho Dunedin Training College, Mr Poison said that there was no suggestion that the training at Dunedin was inadequate. There was ample accommodation at the Christchurch Training College for the Dunedin students, especially as there would be no probationers to go into the Schools next year.