SMALL SALARIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 12

SMALL SALARIES.

HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS.

COMMISSIONERS' PROTEST. (By Telegraph*—Parliamentary Beporter.) WELIJNGTON, Tuesday. "The salaries of several recent appointees to new administrative positions is far in excess,of those paid to permanent heads with long service and in charge of important departments," was a comment made by the Public Service Commissioners is their annual report, which was presented to Parliament to-day. The Commissionerssiiid these appointments accentuated a point to which they had from time to time drawn attention, thai the salaries of higher paid clerical and professional officers were, in their opinion; inadequate. The report pointed out that these higher salaries could only be reviewed by application to the Minister who prepared the Departmental estimates, and few increases had been approved in recent years. Comparisons with salaries paid outside for similar .classes of work made it obvious, they' added, that the rates paid in the Public Service were relatively low. If the Public Service were to be made attractive to men of capacity it was all-important that the remuneration of officers exercising important administrative functions should be adequate and commensurate with the importance of their duties. The large expansion of the Public Service was attributed by the Commissioners to the increased activities of the Government by legislation, bringing various bodies under Government control. There were 7803 permanent and 2047 temporary employees under commissioner control in 1930, but they now numbered 9335 permanent and 3981 temporary employees. In suggesting several improvements in the superannuation system, the Commissioners strongly advocated the removal of the limitation of £300 on pensions of employees who joined the service after December 24, 1909. Notwithstanding this limitation these employees contributed on the basis of their full salary, and this, stated the report, had operated adversely in securing for the State the service of professional ofllcera.