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32. Mr. J. Allen.] It is definite. " Medically unfit "is definite % —Yes ; but the amount of their retiring-a'lowance depends upon the decision of the Board, does it not ? The Chairman."] It would mean practically that when a person got to the age of fifty she would be entitled to the pc ision. Mr. Fow'ds : To the full pension, not to a pension reduced by the number of years by which she fell short of the retiring-age. ■ Mr. Hogben : This means, by the number of years they have contributed, so it would fall short. Tf a person retired at fifty instead of fifty-five, the pension would be five-sixtieths less. 33. The Chairman.] As a matter of fact, Miss Lorimer, have you any reason to believe that some of the Education Boards do not favour the retention in their service of women over fifty years of age ? Is there a feeling abroad to that effect amongst the women teachers ?—I think there is that feeling abroad. Our own Board and our own Inspectors are perhaps exceptions. They are exceedingly reasonable and considerate. 34. Let me put it in another way : Ts the position of a woman teacher, as a rule, comfortable after she gets to the age of fifty ?—I should not say so, unless she was fit. I should say it was decidedly uncomfortable. 35. Made uncomfortable for her by the Boari ? —I do not know that of my own personal experience, but I think there is rather a tendency to look down upon the elderly woman teacher Margaret Helen Craig examined. (No. 5.) 6. The Chairman.] What are you ? —lnfant mistress at the South Wellington School. 37. Will you make your statement first, and then we will ask you questions ? —Yes. I have 1 een asked, on behalf of the women teachers of Wellington, to represent them, and to express their views on the Superannuation Bill. First of all, we desire to congratulate the Premier on the introdud'on of the Bill, and to thank him for very much that the Bill contains. We realise that it is an excellent scheme for young teachers and for those who are just about to retire. Of course, the annuity which is to be granted to these latter teachers is small, but it is practically a free gift, because they have contributed nothing towards the fund, and we consider it is an act of generosity on the part of the Government. The women teachers of Wellington are most anxious to act in co-operation with the men, and so we trust that no action on our part will imperil the passing of the Bill. There is, however, one alteration that we are anxious to see made in the Bill, and that is that the optional retiring-age for women be reduced from fifty-five to fifty. We urge that this concession be granted for the following weighty reasons : First of all, very few women can teach efficiently after the age of fifty. The majority of women teachers are either taachers of large classes, or they are teachers in sole charge of country schools, and their work is decidedly the most arduous and the least remunerative. As has been pointed out by Miss Lorimer, they are decidedly in the worst position, and if the retiring-age be not reduced to fifty, we feel sure that there are-very few who will benefit by the scheme. If we compare the number of men in the service with the number of women, I think we find that fully two-thirds are women ; but when we come to look at the number who have reached the retiring-age, and are ready to come on the fund, we find that a very small minority of them are women. I think this proves clearly that but few women are able to go on teaching until the prescribed age. Now we want a scheme which will benefit the majority of teachers, not one by which only a few will be benefited. It has been pointed out that the head teachers of girls' schools and infant mistresses may perhaps go on until they reach the age of fifty-five ; but as the majority of the teachers are class-teachers, or teachers in charge of country schools, we feel that they would not benefit under the Bill, and so we think that an injustice would be done to them. If they feel that in order to benefit by the scheme they must go on until they are fifty-five, they will probably do it, but, if they do, their work will be less efficient, and, as a result, the children under their charge will suffer greatly. From the fact that in the Superannuation Bill of two years ago women were permitted to retire after twenty-five years of service, we hoped that this Bill would enable them to retire at fifty. Again, almost all the schemes that are in operation in other parts of the world allow the retiring-age for women to be at least ten years less than that for men. Another reason is that during the years that the men and women have been teaching side by side, the salary of the women has been very small compared with that of the men. Men and women working together and doing almost similar work have been paid most unequally ; and as the Government has during all those years saved a certain amount on women's salaries, we think we are not asking a great deal when we ask that some concession may be granted to us as to the retiring-age. Of course, I know it is said that many women leave the service to marry. That true. But, admitting this, why should those who remain, and have made teaching their life's work, suffer for those who have left ? I have made a comparison between the average salary paid to the men and that paid to the women at the school in which I am teaching, and I find that the average salary of the men is £237 a year, and that of the women is £107. In that school, as well as in others, women have arduous work to do. lam not speaking for myself, because lam the best-paid woman teacher in the school ; but I am speaking on behalf of the women generally, and for the reasons i have given, we ask that the Government will, if possible, reduce the retiring-age for women from fifty-five to fifty. I would, however, reiterate what I said at the beginning of my statement —viz., that we do not want to do anything which will prevent the Bill from passing. We realise that it is on the whole a good Bill, and we are very grateful to the Governmeut for having brought it in. That is all I have to say. 38. Mr. J. Allen.] You heard the compromises that were suggested by Miss Lorimer. What have you to say with regard to them ? Would you draw the line as to when a woman teacher becomes inefficient clearly and distinctly at fifty, or would you be prepared to say that if the voluntary age were 3—l. 14.