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11
bute out of his or her salary and emoluments, a per
centage amount, which sum should be credited to the
common fund of the Union, Parish or District as the
case might be.
Superannuation
Act, continued.
The Bill as it present stands was introduced into
Parliament and its second reading carried without a
division on the 18th March, 1896, between 500 and 600
petitions having been presented in its favour from
Boards of Guardians and others, while four petitions
only were presented against it.
An Amendment to the Bill is now before Parliament,
and at the time of writing this report had passed the
second reading in the House of Commons. The principal
object of this Bill is to remove what is considered a
hardship to female officers, especially nurses, scrubbers,
and domestic servants, inasmuch as they are compelled
to contribute on appointment, and are a class of
officers not likely to avail themselves hereafter of the
benefits of superannuation, as they would be unable to
to do so until either they had attained the age of 60
years, and had completed an aggregate service of 40
years, or had reached the full age of 65 years, unless
they had previously become incapacitated from performing
their duty by reason of permanent infirmity of
body. With regard to institutions similar in character
to the Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum, where large
numbers of young women come in for training only
and who in many cases would be unlikely to continue
as Poor Law Officers, a hardship was naturally felt,
and it is to remedy this grievance that the Amendment
Bill to last year's Act of Parliament has been introduced
into the House of Commons.