SUPERANNUATED PUBLIC SERVANTS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 54, 26 November 1921, Page 12

SUPERANNUATED PUBLIC SERVANTS

mQPESTS M l& TO PM “ to meet the delegates in iriendly conte ence as desired. We uow °, r . . nlnsise the following points:—ia) ?he widows and cUndren. of deceased Public servants shall have lirut consideration in the allocation of any bonus or other form of assistance asked for on the ground of the high cost ot living, (b) We note by Press reports that jour ment contemplates an amendment of the Pensions Acts-may we a.so assume that this will cover the Superannuation Acts ns well? (c) In conjunction with tins, ard our request that when in England a few months ago, you would confer with the Prime Minister in London on the subject of the scale of allowances or bonuses, etc., granted to Public servants, we will be glad of such information as you may be able to give us on the matter. May we emphasise tho request that any assistance that may be vouchsafed shall be of a permanent nature? (d) In view of the certainty that there will be no amelioration in tho present cost of living for years to come we urge that such, assistance as was granted by way of bonus last year be continued without any inquisitorial conditions as have been imposed during you? temporary absence in England, and that those persons who have been penalised by means of a form of application for relief, io which many have declined in self-respect to conform —as such queries were not part of your original concession, and these questions are now, we understand, admitted to be a mistake—shall receive due payment, and that there shall bo no differentiation. It will greatly simplify matters if you would kindly instruct the Department concerned to prepare the necessary vouchers in favour of those annuitants who have been deprived of the bonus since the commencement of the current financial year. In granting this bonus to superannuated Public servants the conditioz was that the recipients of less than £lOO per annum should participate, and it was not the further question now imposed as to what other means of livelihood a superannuated Public servant might have. The cost of living was the sole consideration. This point is now pressed upon your attention for the relief of those who need the assistance and who for the reason above stated have not applied individually for renewal of the bonus since March 31 last. “Our executive wishes to be perfectly clear in stating that we have no desire to embarrass you or your Government, or to appear in any unse dictatorial. We recognise your difficulfies white appreciating the crying need for help. We nro in° earnest in our endeavour to help rather than hinder your own efforts to do the right in the abnormal conditions forced upon this country by the war.”