CIVIL SERVANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1918, Page 2

CIVIL SERVANTS.

THEIR SUPERAN T .\i T ATION RIGHTS,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Wellington, Nov. 28.

in the House tiiis afternoon, Mr. .S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said ho wished to protest against tho position of the Bill which had the effect of depriving certain civil servants of their rights under the superannuation scheme. The State had entered into a solemn contract with the civil servants- That promise had been broken as far as some of the railwaymen were concerned. Mr. Smith quoted the case of u man who, in order to join the Superannuation Fund, had sacrificed a life insurance policy. When the time came for his retirement, the Government said that all rights were suspended during the war, and that the man must stay at. work. Yet there were other men brought back into the service during the wa.r who were drawing superannuation in addition to full'wages- There neve? had been anv need to in diet this injustice on some 3f> railwaymen. Mr. Smith contended that the staff shortage in the railway .service had been due to bad conditions of service. He had been a railway serrant himself, and he knew that, he could not have maintained his family and himsel? on his wages if he had not been able to c-avn money in other directions.

The Prime in renlr, saul he did not think anv reil hardship had been suffered, bv the railwaymen whose superannuation had Ven nostponed. Th° conditions had been exceptional. A {tfe.it war and the withdrawa' of manv thousands of men had -.'.iade it wary that men who were due for superannuation ahonld be retained in the service Vow the end o* the wn- had come, (hese men were restored to thei" old positions.