I.—ll

8

95. The Chairman.'] The elder men have stopped paying—they have moved away from the district and have left the Court, and now probably the average age of the members of that Court is less than was the average age when we started? —Then, is not that Court in an exceptionally healthy condition on account of that ? George Allport, Secretary for Marine, examined. 96. The Chairman.] Will you cell the Committee, Mr. Allport, on what points you wish to be heard in reference to the Civil Service Superannuation Bill ?—First of all, I wish to tell the Committee, on behalf of the Service, that the Service is very anxious to get a Superannuation Bill, and that it is practically unanimous in that view. The members of the Service appointed delegates in the various Departments, who have had meetings to consider this Bill, and they appointed an Executive Committee to deal with matters which they wished brought before the Committee. We are very pleased with the Bill as it stands, but we desire certain amendments. Most of them are not of great importance ; they are only suggestions to carry out what the delegates take to be the intentions of the Bill, but which are not so clearly put as the delegates would like. The main alteration which the Service appears to desire is an increase in the amount of the allowance to be made to the widow. We have made a suggestion to the Hon. the Premier on that point, and have supplied him with a copy of the Bill, showing our suggested alterations on this and other points. What we ask in regard to the widow is that instead of £18 a year as provided in the printed Bill, the allowance be what is given under the Teachers' Superannuation Act —that is, £18 a year, and the return of the contributions which had not been refunded to the member before his death, or the payment of such an annuity as those contributions would produce, in addition to the £18 a year. That is practically what we ask in regard to the widow, and the Service attaches more importance to this alteration than it does to any of its other suggested amendments. It is very anxious that the additional allowance to the widow should be made. I do not know whether the Committee wish me to go through the alterations which we wish made in the Bill. I have a copy of the Biil with all the suggestions shown. 97. Hon. Sir J. G. Ward.] I think Mr. Allport might put them on record. 98. Mr. W. Fraser: To do so would be duplicating the work, because this is not the Bill which I understand the Committee is going to consider, at all. 99. Eon. Sir J. G. Ward: It is, with alterations. 100. Mr. W. Fraser: Would it not be better for Mr. Allport to have the Bill, with the alterations, and then come to us and tell us what he wants ; otherwise, we shall have to ask him again ? 101. Hon. Sir J. G. Ward : Yes. I think Mr. Allport might withhold the details in the meantime, until we get the amended Bill. 101. Mr. Allport: Of course, rather than injure the passing of the Bill, we should not wish to press our suggestions. The Service's main wish is to get a Bill passed through during the present session, and, as I say, it approves generally of the Bill. 103. Hon. Sir J. G. Ward: There are very material difficulties that have arisen, so, in the meantime, I think Mr. Allport ought to wait till we get the amended Bill. 104. Hon. Mr. McNab : Supposing, Mr. Allport, that we found it impossible to pass legislation this year, can you suggest any way in which the rights that might have been acquired under the Bill, but will be lost by postponement, might be safeguarded?—l do not see that there will be any rights lost, except that men may be retired on compensation who are not entitled to a pension now before the Bill passes. They would lose a pension, and would have to retire on whatever compensation they were entitled to. I may say that the delegates asked Mr. Hogben, the Inspector-General of Schools, and myself to attend to give evidence, and Mr. Hogben was anxious to be here, but he had to attend the Education Committee and the Local Bills Committee this morning. If the Committee wished particularly to hear him, he said he would try to get off, and come along; but Ido not think he could say anything more than I have said.

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,600 copies), £5 Is. 6d.

Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9o6,

Price 6d.]