COST OF LIVING BONUS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 53, 31 August 1926, Page 12

COST OF LIVING BONUS

SUPERANNUATED PUBLIC

SERVANTS

ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual meeting of the Federated Association of the Superannuated Public Servants of New Zealand was held this afternoon—Captain W. de R. Barclay presiding. The annual report of the association stated:—

"In presenting the sixth annual report of the Federated Association of the Superannuated Public Servants of New Zealand, it is encouraging and satisfactory to note that notwithstanding adverse influences which have been at work, your association can place on record fresh points of progress reached. Your executive issued a circular to all retired Public servants in Wellington, Napier,-New Plymouth, Wanganui, Nelson, and Marlborough districts setting forth the tenets of the association and appealing to those retired Public Servants for their moral support, and hearty co-operation by means of membership. The response to this appeal has been encouraging, and the membership' has been largely increased. It is at last dawning upon ex-Public servants that your association is a hard-working and vigilant body. The Federal Executive is in constant touch with the branches of the association. These are kept informed of the various developments here, and the endeavours from time to time to awaken that sympathy in the Government of the day. From time to time your executive has succeeded in haying conferences with members of Parliament, who have in every case expressed genuine sympathy with, and special interest in, the work and general activities of your association.

"These informal conferences have been of special value, as they have given the opportunity to members to grasp the inwardness of the efforts of your association, through your executive, to accomplish your aims. Further, those members of Parliament have expressed their readiness to assist and support your association in the furtherance of its objects. Endeavours from time to time to have an interview with the Prime Minister have been fruitless. Perhaps the pressure of other matters weighted with peculiar and unusual circumstances has some bearing on the fact.

"During the past year we hsivo lost two members of our executive by death, Messrs. Christie and Hyde. "It is very satisfactory to record that the endeavours of your association to ameliorate the condition o£ the widows and children of ex-Public servants culminated in the • eost-of-living bonus to women and children being made permanent as from Ist April, 1925. The total payments amount now to £31 for widows

and £26 for children per annum, (vide Financial Act, 1925). This means a considerable increase in the annual income as compared with the original scale. "Further, through the efforts of your association, lodging allowance is now recognised as salary, in computing the amount of superannuation granted to retired Public servants, and this concession is made retrospective to the Ist of January, 1908. This also means a considerable increase to many retired Public servants. "Your executive believes the time has come for a strong effort to be made to have the cost-of-living bonus now paid to some of the retired Public servants, i.e., the men who are granted that concession under special authority and for specified periods, be made permanent. It is perfectly logical, as the cost of living is not decreasing, rather the contrary, indeed. "Your executive urges upon each branch of your association to move without delay in the matter. The position at the moment iB this: The payments are authorised to 30th September, 1926, after which period and date a fresh authority will be required. There may no doubt be strong objection, but this is one o£ those difficulties, like every other difficulty, made to be overcome, aud the true spirit of service, which has from the early initiation of your association, in all its branches been its motto, will bo victorious in this as in other efforts.