RAILWAYMEN'S WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 171, 18 January 1912, Page 8

RAILWAYMEN'S WAGES.

A STATEMENT CORRECTED.

By Telegraph —Press Association. Wellington, Wednesday. In an interview at Christchurch on the subject of the increases of pay to the members of the second division of the railway service, Mr. Hampton, of the A.S.R.S. executive, stated that when the allowance was made to married men covering the increased cost of living, salaries being brought up' to £l3O per annum and wages raised to 8s 3%d per daj-, the grant was not statuory, and therefore the men were superannuated on the actual rate of pay they were re- • eiving under the schedules of the Government Railways Classification Act, which in some of the cases referred to were 7s a day. The Railway Department state that this statement is entirely erroneous. As a matter of fact men in receipt of married allowances contribute to the I superannuation fund on the actual pay received by them, and on their retirement are superannuated on the same basis, so that a married man whose classification rate was 7s per day, but who was in receipt of a married allowance of 8s 3%d .per day, would pay a contribution of 8s 3%d, and receive superannuation benefits on the same rate.

Furthermore, states the Department, it may remove a misapprehension that exists in the minds of the men to point out that even in cases where contributors to the superannuation 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 1 last, provided, of course, that the men had not | actually retired from the service before [that date. • At the last meeting of the Superannuation Fund Board such cases were dealt [ with, and increased allowances that were granted varied from £2 15s 4d to '£lo j 12s 7d. This, it is urgfed, indicates clearly that the Railway Department gives an employee the fullest possible benefits that can accrue to him under

the Superannuation Fund Act.