"CUT" RESTORED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 140, 15 June 1935, Page 10

"CUT" RESTORED.

HIGHER-PAID MEN. LABOUR PARTY OPPOSED. WELLINGTON DISCUSSION. In view of the all-round improvement in the city's finances, and the brighter outlook generally, the Wellington City Council decided that the second half of. the original 10 per cent cut in salaries and wages should be restored to officers and men in all departments as from July 1. Labour councillors contended that greater consideration should be given to the lower-paid officers and men, but their amendments, that the restoration should apply only in cases where men were receiving £350 per annum and under, ,and that the restoration should apply as from April 1 in the case of the lower-paid officers and men, were defeated. ■ The estimates committee reported that the amounts which would be required to bring up the wages and salaries in the various trading departments for the nine months of the year would be: Tramways department, £7740; electricity department, £2722; milk department, £1418—a total of £11,750. Labour Amendment. Mr. T. Brindle moved as an amendment that the restoration should apply only to those officers and men receiving £350 per annum and less. In no way was he reflecting upon the work done by senior officers, whose services were of the highest standard, but he believed that it was wrong" in principle that a class of highly-paid officials should be built up. What Was urgently needed was a more even and. equitable allocation. The more highly-paid oflicials would receive the greater part of the total available for the restoration of cuts, and in his. opinion they did not require the restoration as did the more poorly-paid officers and men. There were limits to which salaries should go, and there were nien in New Zealand who were receiving far more than their services were worth. In saying that he was not referring to any individuals, but was speaking of the principle that if. a few got a great deal, there was too little left for the majority.

Mr. A. Black seconded Mr. Brindle's proposal, and said that he thought there was far too great a discrepancy between the salaries paid to certain officers and the rates of pay for the men under them. There should be a levelling up of rates of pay from below. Young officers of the council had lost, in addition to the cuts, the normal increment from grading, which was a permanent loss. Cadets had lost in that way, plus the cuts, as much as 28$ per cent, and older and most capable skilled men, as in the electricity and tramways departments, were certainly not given the recognition, to which their loyal and valuable services entitled them.:

"Ungracious and Unfair." , Mr. M. F. Luckie said, that though there might be something in the principle pf a levelling up he was not going to -support the amendment. No city or Government institution was better andvmor.e loyally served by its officers than the Wellington City CounciLv It; would b$ ungracious and unfair to.withhold tfie-xe.storatiori from officers who had. giveri su'eh' service.

| Mr. C. H; Chapman, M.P,,'said that he did not think the-senior officers were too highly paid, but the lower-paid employees should .'receive first consideration; The present.grading, system had broken down, i "<■ Hlgfcer Pay, Heavier Cuts. The Mayor, Mr.. T-; C. A. Hislop, said that everybody; in the Corporation service '.receiving.'> over £400 had had a cut of 20 per cent, those between £300 and £400 had had a "15 per cent cut, and.irom £300 down; had had afcut of !l0 per cent, with a limit that no married nian got less than £4. What was now l proposed' was to restore' the first :cut. under £300 would have < a full; 10 per cent , restoration, everybody between £300 and £400 would still have., a J>,per cent shortage, and ' everybody'- over ' £400 would still -have a- 10 per cent shortage, so that thehigher salaries would, still be short a considerable sum. From. £400 upwards the total amount involved was about £750 and r that; could make only a trifling difference to everybody below that. ; He suggested that the higherpaid officers-.were suffering as much as it was; reasonable to expect them to. ! It was hoped that juniors would receive ! their normal grade increases again this I year. ~

Mr. Brindle's amendment was lost by 10 votes to 5. '