PROVIDENT POLICE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 15 February 1908, Page 2

PROVIDENT POLICE.

XEAY PROPOSALS DISCUSSED. Press Association. AVANoiANUI, Feb. 14. At -a fully attended meeting of the local and suburoan police, held at the station to-night, the question of members joining the Public Service Superannuation Fund, established I ist- session, was considered. It was pointed out that the benefits under lac 1 tibhc Service Act iu a number of cases were belter than under -the lolice Provident Fund. For iust a lice, instead of the pension going up to thirty-six-sixtieths of a- year’s pay, as provided by the Police Fund, !C c j°, ulcl So up to forty-sixtieths undci the 1 üblic Service Fund. Contributions paid into this fund are i eturnable, irrespective of the years un semce J or whether dismissed. Whereas under the Police Fund contributors under 10 years cannot re;r° il . refund, and from 10 to 25 jeai-b (it lie leaves voluntarily) ho oonUdbnt* liree-fourths of the amount contributed but after 25 years’, serreturn of contributions can j.„ n p. °., l J“ Ios s lie retires on pension. I he Civil (Service Fund movides tliat the widow and children shall receive a pension of £lB per year.during^ her widowhood, and each child os per rears Add rca< 'j ln, S the age of 16 . tais. This applies to where a conl. ibutor has only served a short pe■od Pn° r to.death. This, it was pointed out, is certainly a most libI’Xr I ''- T d 0110 that should • dvKai r rriwi 1110,1 consider it inV erx V, l i to over to the Civil SerV,°A ,lld ; I hen, again, the fact of •- )f C nl,,,t 'oi'» . being returnable obi mi l groatcst tmportauee to both cases +1 ' VoUllg members. 111 . a few tlle amount of contribution will II c ease from half to one per cent.,' and 111 a few others they will de- ;, ° asU | by the same amount. It was thought that increasing the ago of i> 10111 60 years umler tho n.c.e Fund to 05 under the Civil service Fund was an objection from a police point of view, but it was pointed out that the Minister in control of the Police Department could make the retiring age 65. and would in all probability do so, as it would certainly be injurious to the Department to have a number of po-*; 1 icemen over 60 years of age. It was considered by those present that the great and only blot in the Civil Service Fund, from a police point ot view, apparently, is that there is no. provision for a suitable pension foi' police officials injured while in the execution of tlieir duty, as provided for in the Police Fund, but it was thought that when this -was pointed' out steps would lie taken to rectify it. After carefully considering tin* whole scheme, it was unanimously decided to vote flint fhe police join the Civil Service Fund.