RAILWAY EMPLOYEES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10531, 18 January 1912, Page 4

RAILWAY EMPLOYEES.

QUE3TJCM OF SUJfERANNUAr TlvJ:i. (By TehgruDh— -Press J ssociation.}' WELLINGTON, Last Night. In an interview at \ Chris tchurclu on. the subject of increases of pay t<S. members of the second division of tlie railway service, Mr Hampton, of the A.S'.R.S. Executive, stated thai; when the allowance was made - to married men, covering, the increased cost of living, the- salaries being I brought up to. £I"JU per ajuvum audi the wages raised to 8s 3i'd. per day, tihe grant was not a statutory one, and therefore the men were superannuated on the actual rate of pay they j were receiving under the cuh.edu les o£ j the Government ? Railways OLas-sinea-, ; tion Act, which, in some of th-Q cases- ; referred to, were t s per day. The j Railways Department iiiattss that this statement is entirely erroneous. As a matter of fact.the won in receipt of married allowance contribute to the superannuation fund on the actual pay received .by them, and on their retirement are superaiunuited on the | same basis, so that a married man i whose classification rate was 7s per day, but was in receipt .ol a. married! allowance of 8s 's;'d per day, would pay a contribution on 8s 3yd, and receive superannuation bei.iefi.ts on the same rate. Furthermore, states the Department, it may remove a misapprehension that exists in .the mindst of the men. to point out that even, in'., cases where contributors to the sup,-' era.niu.irn.tion fund have given notice' of retirement and been granted leave preparatory to tinal'ly retiring from the service, the superannuation alio wanee of such men has been, computed on the increased rate, of pay operating from Ist November last,, provided, of course, that the men have not actually retired from the service before that date. At the lastmeeting of the Superannuation Fund Board, seven such cases were dealt' with, the increased allowances that were granted varying from £2 15s-46V' to £lO 12s 7d. This, it is urged, indicates clearly that the' Railway De« partment gives employees the fullest possible benefits that can accrue to them under the Superannuation Fund?' Act.