044 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
tions to superannuation funds in which the members are 
interested—is theoretically attractive, but is believed to be 
unworkable. The payments are to be subject to the prescribed 
conditions, and the regulations which have been made show 
the character of the questions in which the administering 
Departments would be involved, if this additional benefit were 
put into practice. These questions extend to the constitution 
of the superannuation fund, the character of the benefits pro- 
vided out of it, the manner in which its moneys are invested, 
and its financial position as shown by its periodical valuations. 
As the point at issue is the payment of money which has arisen 
out of contributions compulsorily levied under an Act of Parlia- 
ment to a fund established on an altogether different basis, it 
is inevitable that the regulations should provide, as they do, 
for the intervention of the Joint Committee in the control of 
the fund to an extent which, if intervention were. conceded 
at all, could scarcely be tolerated by the management of a 
private and self-governing institution. There appears to be no 
demand for this form of additional benefit, and if a demand 
arose we are satisfied that the conditions prescribed by the regu- 
lations are, and must be, such that the proposal would not be 
pursued. We anticipate, therefore, that no use will be made 
of additional benefit No. 10. At the same time it must not be 
overlooked that the need for provision of this kind has been 
much lessened by the introduction of the Contributory Old Age 
Pensions Scheme. We recommend therefore, that additional 
benefits Nos. 9 and 10 should be removed from the list. 
597. Additional benefit No. 11 is ‘‘ payments to members 
who are in want or distress, including the remission of arrears 
whenever the arrears may have become due.”” The first part 
of this benefit, viz., payments to members in want or distress, 
has evidently met a need and has been adopted by many Socie- 
ties, but the latter part which, it is to be noted, is restricted in 
its operation to members in ‘* want or distress,” a qualification 
which is somewhat difficult to apply, has now been rendered 
unnecessary by reason of the inclusion in the Regulations, under 
paragraph 14 of the Schedule, of a new additional benefit 
(No. 19), viz., *‘ the payment in part of any sickness and dis- 
ablement benefits to which a member, who is an employed 
contributor, would otherwise have been disentitled owing to 
arrears due to inability to obtain employment, and the payment 
of any maternity benefit to which, for the like reason, he would 
otherwise have been disentitled.”” We recommend, therefore. 
that additional benefit No. 11 should be restricted to ‘* payments 
to members in want or distress ’’ 
598. We would also point out that the new additional benefit 
No. 19 would itself become superfluous if effect were given to our 
recommendation in paracraph 655. that there should be no