CO129-505-8 Widows' and Orphans' Pension legislation- raising of pensionable age limit of male orphans 22-6-1927 - 7-11-1927 — Page 6

which the actuarial basis of the Scheme has been

calculated and it can only be altered by getting

fresh actuarial calculations.

The age

for boys

limit

is

18 in all these Schemes and

Funds, a boy can start earning his own

living then and most- do - especially sons of lower grade European and native officers, who of course form the vast majority of the contributors

а

a.JH

Ce 1.04

(5).Similarly, it is proposed, (Section 13),

to increase the age limit for male children from

18 to 21. This also may be desirable, but the same

objections apply as to (4).

(6).Introduction of 8% Tables. It was proposed

in 1920 that new tables based on calculations of 8%

should be introduced (See 12225/19). At long last

this proposal is about to be carried into effect,

(Section 14). The despatch on 12225/19 suggested

that this change should be retrospective to the 1st

January 1920. To make it retrospective to that

date now would involve much work and expense and

this is probably why it has not been done. The

Governor does not, however, refer to the matter and

it may have been overlooked. The Malayan Government

made the provision retrospective to 1920 although

their legislation was not enacted until 1925, (See

13658/19 and 27161/25).

(7) Dissolution of Marriages. Section 16

repeals the old provision and substitutes a clause

which is intended to make the law cleare. The

principal object seems to be to protect a wife

who has divorced her husband. Where the husband is

the injured party and divorces his wife she is

treated as if she were dead; but if the wife does

the divorcing she is to continue to be treated as

the officer's wife. All this high morality is

out of place in the Widows' and Orphans Pension

Scheme. The object of that is to protect an

officer's existing wife and children, not to

preserve che