The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 11, 1906 THE PREMIER’S “CROWNING WORK.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1721, 11 April 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISH ED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 11, 1906 THE PREMIER’S “CROWNING WORK.”

A few months ago the Premier, states the N.Z. Herald, referring to his a colonial annuity scheme, stated that if it received the support of the people he would regard it as the crowning event of his public life. The Post now understands that Mr Saddon intends to try and give effect to this important proposal, and that it will, when more thoroughly matured, be explained in detail to the people of the colony, and be subsequently introduced into Parliament. It is not intended that it shall interfere with the Old Age Pensions Act, but in course of time it will probably take its place. The details have not yet been' worked out, but Mr Seddon’s proposal is understood to be that any person, may put a sum, say £o, into &’• Government fund to earn

interest and compound interest,’and be i- : subsidised by the Treasury. The I Premier contends that it would pay the colony to do this, for the colony would have, the use of the money, it 6 would save the cost of charitable aid, 1 and as years went on there would be fewer and fewer people to go on the old age pension fund. “ The sohemo ■ will,” says Mr Seddon, “encourage thrift, and I hope the people will give i it their support, and thus enable New Zealand again, to’ give a lead to the 1 world.” This scheme is a good deal like the English Parliamentary scheme, commonly known as Mr Chamberlain’s scheme. Under this proposal there are three methods by which an annuity 1 of 5s a week at 65 may be secured (a) by a cash dpposit of £2 10s at 25, and | an annual payment of 10s a year up ( to 65. The State is to credit the depositor with an additional £lO at t the date of his deposit. Interest would be allowed upon tho total credit 8 at 2J- per cent. This would work out at a pension of 5s a week at 65 ; (b) the same, except that the cash deposit would be £5, and the annual payment £l. In this case the State credit would be £ I's. This would admit of other benefits besides the 5s a week at 65, the chief being a provision for tl widows and children ; (c) the deposit ol of 30s by a man, or 25s by a woman, tc in the Post Office, and also insurance in any society for an annuity of £6 10s for a man, or £3 18s fora woman. In 0 | this case the -State would double the di annuity. Mr Seddon’s scheme will w probably be found to bo most like the B first of these three methods, the w annuity of course being higher, pro- 10 bably double—namely, 10s a week. 01 The intention is that the new scheme shall run concurrently with the old age pensions for some years, but the Premier’s contention is that, to make a contributing scheme a success, you must start when people are young, allowing the existing arrangement to go on until such time as the other will w. supersede it. Tl

The annual cnnorol meeting of the West End Football Club will bo bold this evening-

Mails despatobod from Melbourno via Brindisi on Maroh 7th nrrivod in London on April 7th.

Tho local railway rovonuo for tbo month ondiog in March amounted to £637 Is lOd, against an expenditure of £250 els, thus leaving a substantial working profit. Tho business ot the jmoeting of Ihs Charitable Aid Board last ovoniog was of a formal naturo. Six membors of the Borough Council wore prosonf, tho County Council not being represented. Loavo of abßenoo was granted to tho aarotukor of tho 0:d Men’s Home. The. Roebuok road bridge is to be speedily proceeded with. A considerable amount of the matorial is already on prder, and last ovening tho Ooudcil decided to call for tenders for the woodwork and labor in connection with tho Btruoturo.

The oustodian of the Old Men’s Home acknowledges with thanks the following: ’ Gifts of fruit from Mrs (Dr) G. Buckeridgs, mßgßziotß from Mr E. D. Smith and Mr , Hawkins, fruit and vegetables from the Wesleyan Cburch foßtival, and eandwiohes and cakes from tho Y.M.O A. and No Lioense League. H.M.S. Encounter' (Captain Thursby) anchored to tho Bay yesterday afternoon, and an oftioial visit was paid by His Worship tho Moyor, accompanied by Councillors and tho Harbormaster. In the afternoon the Bteamers Tuatea and Korora oonveyed visitors to and from the warship, the school children ospeoially having a very interesting time. The Enoounter sai'od in tho evening for Napier. Chinese apparently find business " all li ” in Now Plymouth, if the iroreaßing attention the race Is devoting to tho town may be accepted as a criterion (says the News). Time was, not so very loDg ago, when the Chinaman was almost a rarity hero ; now he is a very considerable quantity, and for the most part in business. Within the past month no less than three separate Chinese signs have appeared over new fruit shops in town. These have evidently got on the nerves of at least one New Zealand patriot, whose protest disfigured the windows of two at least of these shops. Traced with heavy tar brush thp insotiption ran : “ The Yellow Peril. God bless Lionel Terry.” Monday’s Auckland Herald states: — Tho Huddart Parker steamer Viotoiia, whioh arrived from Southern and East ports ycste v day morning, made another very smart trip from Gisborne, covering the dislancein the good time of 20 hours. The trip is not so good as the Victoria's two previous performances -19 i hours and 19| hours —but on this oocasion she bad strong headwinds and seas to oontend wi h, Oapla'n Waller and bis officer's, especially the engineering staff, are to be ecmplimo-tsd upon the Bteamer maintaining her reputation for fast steaming. On tbo passage from Gisborne a very enjoyable oonoert was held in tha saloon, at which Mr .M. Isaac presided. At the oiose a collection was taken up in ail of the Shipwreck Belief Sooiety, the sum of £2 17s being realised.

The London correspondent of the Auok land Herald., writes:—Last Tuesday> March 2nd, a wedding of ioterest to readers in Ibe colony took place in London, at iho Church of St. Mathias, Earl’s Court Square The brido was Mies Arterota RowoDa Arthur, eldest daughter of Mr A. C. Arthur, formerly a member of the New Zea’aud House of Representatives, and a former resident of Gisborne, New Zealand. The bridegroom was Mr Harley Marshall, J P., of Dunduff, Fifeehire. A largo number of relatives and quaudom New Zsaianders wore present at the church and at the reception ' held later. These included: Mrs H. Ashby (Auckland), Mr and Mrs J. B. Whyte and Miss Whyte (Auckland), Mr Sunderland and Mies R. Sunderland (Gisborne), Mr H. J. Thomson and Mr R. J 0. Thomson (Gisborne).

A New Z island farmer named Thomas Pooki arrived in Melbourne from Sydney in tbo R M.S. Orontes. He was on his way to LondoD, and had obtained in Sydqoy a bank draft for £3600 on the National Bank, London, ani a draft for £65 on the Commercial Bank, London. With these drafts in his pooket, and £3l in gold, Pooke and a friend visited a number of hotels in Melbourne and tbo nothern suburbs. At ba'f-past two in the afternoon his valuables were Bafe, but when he looked for them again at halfpast ten at night Pooke found that they had all disappeared. He reported bis loss to the police, but stated that both ho aod his friends were too drunk to remember even the hotels they visited. Dstfctives Bannon aud Mercer had noticed them in Lonsdale street behaviDg in a hilarious manner with a number of womeD, but Pooke could not remember who the women wore. The Orontes continued her voyage, and Pooke went with her. Pay ment of the drafts has, of oouree, been shopped, so that the thieves would realise nothing beyond the cash they rgeeived.