RESERVES DEPARTMENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17611, 14 November 1922, Page 7

RESERVES DEPARTMENT.

STAFF REDUCED. "I will ask the chairman of the Reserves Committee," said the Mayor at the meeting of the City Council last night to make a statement as to the dismissal of certain men from the Reserves Department.'' Ct. Andrews said that at the last Council meeting it was decided that tho expenditure on the Reserves Department should be curtailed in order to keep within the estimates. That meant a reduction in the staff which to-day was six men less than before. One man had previously left and one man had been dismissed, and four had to be put off. The superintendent had decided to retain the men most useful to him. If funds improved towards the end of the year the men put off would be reinstated if they atill wanted work. Some of the men, however, had already refused other work offered them. The Mayor said the men had come to him and he told them he would have the whole matter enquired into. The men asked that they should be taken on if work' was available in other departments, and he told them the Council would probably agree to that. The test was that of efficiency whe>n the men were selected for retirement; Cr. H. T. Armstrong said the Reserves Department wanted much more money than was allotted <to it. At least 20 men could be put on at Bottle Lake plantations and pould be kept there for at least twelve months. Or. Andrews: At present we have only two. t The Mayor: Who is providing the money P Cr. Armstrong said the Council out of the contingency rate could make a grant of £6OO to the Reserves Department a He moved that the Finance Committee be asked to report if it could provide further finance for the Reserves Department. The motion was seconded by Or. H. Hunter and carried.