Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

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Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Abstract]  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Note 8.   Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
 
The Company provides defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans to certain employees. Net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost for the plans included the following:

 
Three months ended March 31,
Pension
Other Postretirement
2012
2011
2012
2011
Service cost
$ 1,424 
$ 1,237 
$ 182 
$ 158 
Interest cost
1,950 
1,867 
321 
313 
Expected return on plan assets
(1,953)
(1,843)
- 
- 
Amortization:
   Prior service cost
(11)
6 
(113)
(119)
   Net actuarial loss
1,680 
1,338 
134 
102 
Net benefit cost
$ 3,090 
$ 2,605 
$ 524 
$ 454 

Six months ended March 31,
Pension
Other Postretirement
2012
2011
2012
2011
Service cost
$2,848 
$2,474 
$364 
$316 
Interest cost
3,900 
3,734 
642 
626 
Expected return on plan assets
(3,906)
(3,686)
- 
- 
Amortization:
Prior service cost
(22)
12 
(226)
(238)
Net actuarial loss
3,360 
2,676 
268 
204 
Net benefit cost
$6,180 
$5,210 
$1,048 
$908 

Benefit payments under the Company's principal retirement plan are made from plan assets, while benefit payments under the postretirement benefit plan are made from the Company's operating funds.  Under IRS regulations, the Company is not required to make any significant contributions to its principal retirement plan in fiscal year 2012.

Contributions made and anticipated for fiscal year 2012 are as follows:

Contributions
Pension
Other Postretirement
Contributions during the six months ended March 31, 2012:
   Supplemental retirement plan
$366
$      - 
   Other postretirement plan
- 
497
Additional contributions expected in fiscal 2012:
   Supplemental retirement plan
400
- 
   Other postretirement plan
- 
632