CADBURY’S CORONATION GIFT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1052, 5 October 1911, Page 4

CADBURY’S CORONATION GIFT.

PENSIONS TO WOMEN

WORKERS

Messrs Cadbury Bros,, Ltd., of Bouruville, commemorated the Coronation by creating a Savings and Pension Fund for their women employees, similar to the fund for men and boys already established. Employees will contribute fixed sums of 6d, yd, or is per week, according to age, and these contributions, together with compound interest at 5 per cent., will accumulate, and the whole will be paid out to them on leaving through any cause whatever, or to their representatives in the event of death. For any who continue in the service of the Company until fifty years of age—or earlier if retirement is due to infirmity—the option is given of either taking their own contributions and interest in a lump sum, or receiving a pension payable until death, and including a funeral grant. A member entering at fifteen, would at fifty have standing to her credit in the fund contributions amounting to and interest ,£126. At sixty the contributions would be £lll, and the interest If she retired at fifty, and elected to take a pension, the amount payable would be a year. If her retirement occurred at sixty, her pension would be a year. In order to make some provision for those who have been in the Company’s service for a considerable period prior to the formation of the fund, Messrs Cadbury Bros., Ltd., have made a special donation of This will be treated as if it were_ the members’ own past contributions. Already 2887 girls, out of a total number of about 3,000. over fifteen years of age, have handed in a request to join the fund. A similar superannuation fund was some little time ago started on behalf of the male employees, and in this case, too, the fund was handsomely endowed by Cadbury’s. Several other large manufacturers in the Old Country are following on similar lines. The more progressive and humane business men are beginning to recognise that it is their duty to provide for their employees in such a manner that when they retire from active service they will be able to end their days in peace and plenty. Cadbury’s have always been noted for the generous way in which they look after the welfare of their employees. Their factory is situated in a Garden Village, where the firm have erected, and maintain, handsome schools, libraries, places for entertainment, parks, model cottages, etc., where those employed by them live in the utmost freedom and under the most happy circumstances. It must be admitted that, apart from the humane aspect, this policy is undoubtedly a good one from a commercial view. There is naturally a desire with the better class of work people to be employed under such liberal conditions as prevail at Bouruville, and so, doubtlessly, Cadbury’s are able to secure the very best classes of labour. Then, again, people who are once employed there never seem to have any desire whatever to go elsewhere. We do not consider for a moment that Cadbury’s were actuated by commercial motives in devising these various schemes for the betterment of their employees, but we are rather inclined to think that their gocd actions are in this way coming back to them.