THE RAILWAY EMPLOYES ACT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1957, 17 October 1889, Page 3

THE RAILWAY EMPLOYES ACT.

Sir Harry Atkinson must push forward insurance somehow. Several years age he stumped the colony on his " compulsory insurance scheme," and failed. " One Concerned " writeß as follows to the Otago Daily Times : " Sib,— Yesterday, for the first time, I read through a copy of ' The Government Railway Employes' Act 1889.' Asa railway employe, I trust that our legislators will never allow this bill to pass in its present form. I object to this bill for many reasons, and with your kind permission I will state a few of them. "This insurance fund is to be partly'made up ' by sums to be contributed as follows:—During the service of each permanent employe, for each sucli employe, the rate of whose pay does not exceed 7e per working day, the sum of 2s per week shall be paid into the insurance fund.' " "What does this mean ? It means 2s per week stopped off the surfacemen and many other employes who are paid at the rate of 6s 6d per day. And what does that mean to a man with a large family? Why, it is nearly half his rent. Tommy, Johnny, and little Mary must wear old boots for a long time yet, though they do let in the water. It is the 2s a week that used to be laid by for the rainy day, and God knows there are many rainy days where there is a large family and the wife not very strong. It means that he is forced to give up his benefit society, for he cannot keep that up now that the 2s a week is ■topped off his wage. "And now, sir, speaking of rainy days and benefit societies, I ask, What provision does this bill make for an employe who falls sick ? None whatever. It takes from him his own sick fund, or the fund that kept up his society's; and now, when he is laid up, his wife and family must starve until he gets better. Why, Sir, with that 2s per week he could have insured his life for £IOO, joined a benefit society —securing to himself in the event of sickness £1 per week for six months, with doctor and medicine free, and in the event of death £2O, and in some societies £3O to his survivors.

" Again, (Sir, a man joins the service at 20 years of age, say; at 40 or 45 he leaves the service in order to try and better himself ; he has been paying 2s a week for 25 years. What will this man be entitled to according ta this precious bill? Why, not a rap. I trust that the other employes will express their opinion upon this important subject and not let it be thought that our silence implies consent."