NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 132, 22 October 1912, Page 3

NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND

OFFICIAL lecturer in new PLYMOUTH. ■Although the. provisions of the National Provident Fund, the latest scheme for the encouragement of thrift, introduced by the Government are designed for the good of the masses, the public of. the Dominion has not fully realised the exact aims and objects "of the Fund. To repair this neglect the Government lias appointed Mr. J. J. O'Gorman, of the Postal Department, official lecturer in connection with the Fund. Mr. O'Gorman's duties consist of disseminating in the best means possible the advantages of the scheme, and already bis efforts hare been very successful in other paTts of the Dominion, where many contributors to the Fund Slave ■been obtained. Mr. O'Gorman arrived in New Plymouth yesterday, and, speaking to a reporter, stated that he had made arrangements with a number of firms in the city to address their employees, for whom the Fund is especially advantageous. During the week he will address the employees at various factories and shops during the luncheon Ihour, and will fully explain the objects of the scheme. Mr. O'Gomran will be prepared to enrol intending contributors, and during the week he will be in attendance at ■the Postal counter between 7 and 8 o'clock each evening to. give any information required.

Briefly, the Fund makes provision for a payment not exceeding £5 for medical attendance on the birth of a contributor's child or children after contributing for twelve months; an allowance after three months' incapacity to work of 7s 6d per week for each child of a contributor under 14 years of age, due after contributing for five years; si pension at the age of 60 of 1 OS, 20s, 30s, or 40s, according to the scale of contribution (the payment of this pension' will not affect ) any rights under the Old Age Pensions Act); an allowance on death of the contributor of 7s Cd per week for each child under 14 years of age, due after contributing for five years. The contributions range according to the age of the contributor when entering the Fund, from 9d to 4s lid, payable at all Post and Money-Order Offices. A contributor wlho leaves the Fund ie entitled to ft refund of all contributions paid by him and no medical test is required on joining the Fund. Probably there is no known scheme in the world so beneficial as this.