DOMINION NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1916, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

SUPERANNUATION BOAiRD. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, May 16. The quarterly meeting of the Public Service Superannuation Board granted allowances to twenty-one retired contributors for an annual amount of £4583, and full benefits to two retired medically unfit members. Six widows and twelve children received allowances aggregating £264 per annum. A legal opinion is to be obtained as to the sufficiency of a certificate of death issued by the Defence Department wlien a contributor is declared by the Military Court of Inquiry to be believed dead. Compensation under the Civil Service Act, totalling £5186, which would otherwise have been nayabie out of the consolidated fund, becomes a liability of the superannuation fund, consequent on the above retirements. The Solicitor-General is to be asked if there is any legal difficulty in the way of a contributor, being a returned soldier, receiving a retiring allowance from the fund as well as a military pension it he is certified medically unfit for duty no a public servant.

SHEARERS AXD FARM WORKERS. Wellington, Yesterday. The Arbitration Court to-day heard a case of importance to farmers 'and rural workers, in the form of an application by the Wellington Shearers' Union to adjust the terms of the Wellington Shearers' Award. The application was made consequent upon the amalgamation of the Shearers' Union with farm and station hands, under the title of the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Onion, Similar amalgamations have been made in other districts. It is desired to make the new unions parties to the old awards obtained by the amalgamating bodies. One objection raised was that the registration of Wellington A. and P. Union was not in order, since amalgamation could only take place between unions in the same industry. Here one union included creamery, butter and cheese factory employees, who are not in the agricultural and pastoral industry. Tile Court decided to consider the question and give a ruling as to which- were the same industries within the meaning of the Act.

Counsel for tlie Sheepfarmers' tin ion indicated, that the amalgamation would be contested in regard to other branches of the proposed new union.