B. -20

1906. NEW ZEALAND.

"THE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS SUPERANNUATION FUND ACT, 1902" (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO DEDUCTIONS FROM CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Act.

The Controller and Auditor-General to the Hon. the Speakkr op the House op Representatives. The Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Audit Office, 27th June, 1906. The Controller and Auditor-General has the honour respectfully to submit to the House of Representatives, in accordance with the provisions of section 53 of "The Public Revenues Act, 1891," a copy of the correspondence "in certain cases under that section where, the Audit Office having declined to pass the pay of members of the Working Railways Department, as excluding, for the purpose of the basis for the deduction of the contributions under " The Government Railways Superannuation Fund Act, 1902," the amount paid under the authority of Vote 71, item 26, " Extra pay to members in the Second Division from Ist November, 1905, £18,000," in the Appropriations for the year 1905-6, the Governor determined the matter in dispute by deciding that the sum of £18,000 is not pay, but allowances within the meaning of the Act, and that consequently the same should not be taken into account when making the deductions. J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

No. 1. 05/2147, No. 17578. (Circular Memorandum.) All Traffic Officers, Railway Accountant. New Zealand Government Railways, Head Office, Wellington, N.Z., 10th November, 1905. Allowances to Members of the Outdoor Staff. It has been decided to grant the following allowances to the outdoor staff: — Night Allowances. Enginemen, Firemen, and Guards, night allowance of ss. per night for all nights on which they are necessarily absent from headquarters on duty where no sleeping-accommodation is provided by the Department; where sleeping-accommodation is provided, 2s. 6d. per night will be allowed. Maintenance men absent from home on duty, Is. per night if provided with sleeping vans or huts. These allowances to be paid as from Ist April, 1905, and arrangements should be made for payment of arrears accordingly. Wages Allowances. From Ist November inclusive the following allowances will be made to the outdoor staff specified below :- Is. per day : Labourers and porters at 7s. (excluding tablet porters provided with free houses). 6d. per day : Storemen, horse-drivers, crane-drivers, crossing and bridge keepers, shunters, porters at 7s. 6d. (excluding tablet porters provided with free houses), porters at 65., junior porters, and junior labourers. 3s. per week : Nightwatchmen. The amounts accruing to staff under this arrangement must be shown separately on pay-sheets, and are not to be included in the earnings for the purpose of superannuation deduction, which is as heretofore to be made on the basis of the classification rate of pay received by each person. I—B. 20.