“WHEN IS A CHILD „ NOT A CHILD?”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 140, 3 September 1927, Page 4

“WHEN IS A CHILD „ NOT A CHILD?”

OFFICIAL INCONSISTENCIES NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND (TIIE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.) j WELLINGTON, To-day. When is a child not a child? question seems to have tangled up W. J. Jordan, Manukau, who asked u* the House of Representatives that specific definition should be given as to the age at which childhood ceased. travelling on railways the age HUUwas 12 years; if the father died in influenza epidemic childhood ended a * 16; for purposes of pensions the &S----was set at 15; while the figure mentioned in the National Provident Fun was 14 years. The time had con ?f'L thought, when the authorities' % make up their minds when a cmj“ ceased to be a child, and bring ® veD department of the State into line. The Hon. R. A. Wright. Alinisteir ** Charge of the National ProvideFund, foresaw difficulties if an tempt were made to alter any system ■ which had prevailed for a lon £ The National Provident Fund could stand any extra pressure at P i and any alteration in policy that w° possibly involve increased paymeu would have to be made with the *P* proval of Cabinet. . Members of the House indulge® ' a general chat on the activities of m fund, and fired several question soe gesting alterations at the Minister. * 0 1 Mr. A. Harris, Waitemata, wish® 4 * have the operations of the fund a P* to private business firms, which desirous of having their emp * o3 ~ataken in, irrespective of age and *- • ary, similar to the privileges enjoy by local bodies. w. Mr. Wright admitted that the P 1 t 1 lem was an extremely difficult o»c» • .nvesigations were being made to -v iif there was any way in which i> jsition could be met, ’