RAILWAY MEN’S WAGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 30, 18 January 1912, Page 6

RAILWAY MEN’S WAGES.

A STATEMENT CORRECTED. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, January 17. In an interview at cnnsccnurcn on the suojcct ol me increases of pay to me meinucrs ol me second division of me railway service, Air. Hampton, oi me A.tt..u.S. executive, staled mat wiien me allowance was made to married men cover.ng the increased cost of living, salaries oemg Prouglit up to 9.130 per annum and wages raised to os 3;|d per day, the grant was not statutory, and therefore the men were superannuated on the actual rate oi pay they were receiving under the scnedules of the Government Railways Classification Act, which in some of the cases referred to were i s a day. ’I lie Railway Department state mat tins statement is entirely erroneous. As a matter of fact men in receipt of married allowances contribute to the superannuation fund on the actual pay received by them, and on their retirement are superannuated on the same basis, so that a married man uhose classification rate was 7s a, day, hut who was in receipt of a married allowance of 8s 3;j(l per day, would pay a contribution on 8s 3Jd and receive superannuation benefits on the same rate. Furthermore, states the Department, it may remove a misapprehension that exists in the mine s of the men to point out that even in cases where contributors to the saperanuation fund have given notice of retirement, and been granted leave preparatory to finally retiring from the service, the superannuation allowance of such men has been computed on the increased rate of pay operating from November Ist last, provided, of course, that the men had not actually retired from the service before that date. At tlie last meeting of the Superannuation Fund Board such cases were dealt with, and increased allowances that were granted varied from £2 15s -Id to £lO i2s 7cl. This, it is urged, indicates clearly that the Railway Department gives an employee the fullest possible benefits that can accrue to him"under tlie Superannuation Fund Act.