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MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Thursday, 7th August, 1902. William James Edwabds examined. (No. 1.) 1 The Chairman.} What is your name in full ?—William James Edwards. 2 What office do you hold?-I am the general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Bailwav Servants of New Zealand, and res.de at Christchurch. I may say that the great objection taken to the superannuation, as set forth in the Bill which has been circulated among the members of Sβ railway service, is that it appears that due provision is not made for the retirement o f the nldPi mTmbers of the service. A uniform percentage of 3 per cent, is there stated ; but the members\l7eZed to pay, according to their age, In increased premium, whereby some provision could be made for the older members to retire, and get more adequate retiring-allowance than is provided Zin the Bill which has been circulated. At our conference, held at Inveroargill some five months ago, a scheme of premiums according to age was adopted and was sent through Mr Eonaine for the due consideration of the Minister for Eailways. From the remarks by the M°nX as reported in Hansard, it would appear that at that time he had not been furnished whh our'conference scheme of sliding scale of contributions, which was a matter of surprise o us provision is not made for the older members of the service being retired-and as I say, go thr ugh m its pVeseni form the'men seem to be quite prepared to pay the h>gher premiums fubmitted to the General Manager for Eailways by the conference of the society 3 Ron Sir J G. Ward.] Those rates were 3 per cent, up to thirty yeais of age, oper cent. With regard to that point: there are twenty-eight men in the PetoneWorkBhops wto havfbee'i in the service from twelve to twenty-five years I think, and wenty-faur AdZ-non are those figures correct ?-I could not say exactly, not having a D.-3 xeturn with pensioner superannuation understand that the suggestion is that at the start the Superbe deferred for one, two, or three years, if necessary ?-Yes ; the members

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