CITY SERVANTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1559, 1 October 1912, Page 5

CITY SERVANTS.

— —« SUPERANNUATION SUGGESTED. At a special meeting of the Wellington City Council last night, Councillor K. Fletcher moved: —"That it is desirable that a scheme of superannuation for the employees of the corporation be established on. tho lines of the Local Authorities' Superannuation Act, 1908, anil Amendment Act, 1912, and that with view tho council hereby resolves to obtain as soon as possible an actuarial report 011 tho whole question, showing what respective contributions from tho corporation anil the employees are necessary to. afford reasonable benefits to the contributors as well v as to make the scheme iluancially sound." Councillor Floteher said that it always seemed to him thai public bodies hud not in the past treated their employees as they might. The tendency of the age was to become more humanitarian, and it was generally recognised that something should be dono to recognise the service of an old servant. The Government had adopted a superannuation schemo, and tho Wellington Harbour Board had resolved in favour . of 0110. Councillor J. 13. Fitzgerald seconded the motion. Superannuation, :to his mind, was a very fine-thing; it secured for tho old and tho needy a pension in (heir declining years, livery progressive body should adopt such a scheme. Councillor J. Trevor declared that superannuation hud been n failure in , New South Wales and in South Africa. Tho council was the custodian of tho ratepayers' money, and had no right to spend tho money on schemes of this 1;i ml. A superannuation scheme might do all right if there were chiefly young men in Urn service, but there were a good many ol:l men in it. A Councillor: You must always navo 6ome. ; Councillor J. Smith said that it wouM require a great deal to convince him that ■ this scheme would be feasible at a reasonable cost. There was a number of old men in tho service, and friendly societies -ilivays found that a considerable difficulty; , in fact, it was only by tho introduction , of new blood (hat friendly societies kept ( going. Tim council might lmvo to go to (he ratepayers for a loan to start tni* . ■schemo going, and then tho council would liud out where they were; tho loan would . not be sanctioned, Councillor J. fuller said that he was strongly in favour of obtaining an nctunr- ' ial I'oport. It was a good idea of C'oil.i- < cillor Fletcher's to bring this forward. ] Councillor Cameron said Iliat: what 1 should be. considered was a scheme of national insurance, somewhat on the line* ' of what obtained in England and in t Germany- < The Atayor (Mr. D. M'Laren) said the I matter or superannuation had once been i mentioned to the employee# of tho council. ( ami iliey had not taken it up. He did 1 not thiu'k that there could bo any objic- j lion to a scheme of insurance by which v evcrv municipal servant insured himself. .) lie 'moved as an amendment that lho j motion should be referred to the finance 0 Committee for tho consideration '.■( tho principles on which the scheme was t: l» n established, also tho data, ami the cast. f The amendment was earric,!. ~ Mr. 11. f/eighton, ISll lVatherston Street. Wellington, ha« a 17llfl-ncre farm for sale. , It is situated within >0 miles p oi Wellington. . Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is. 6d, I $ For Ckronio Chest Complaints.' I v,