CITY COUNCIL STAFF SALARIES

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20937, 18 August 1933, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL STAFF SALARIES

TO THE EDITOR Otf THE PRESS. Sir,—"Burdened Ratepayer" calls attention to the ridiculous salaries paid to employees of the City Council; jolly lucky are those typists drawing their £5 to £6 a week; their working conditions are like those of most council employees, of the pleasantest, and very easy. I had an idea that the Electricity Department staff was particularly well favoured, but I was not prepared to

believe that two of the heads were j getting away with £2250 per annum ) between them. This is enough to! make one gasp these times, particularly if "Burdened Ratepayer's" state-1 ment is correct that one up-to-date | man would do the work for £750: this is a serious matter and should receive the most careful consideration of every councillor. Rates are an awful problem to-day for the average ratepayer, and any squandering should be stopped at ones. —Yours, etc.. A SLEEPLESS RATEPAYER. August IT. 1933. ~j ::ir. caiTos oy ini. PKtaa. Sir.—lf, as "Burdened Ratepayer"' states, the typists are getting £G a week, it is secretarial work and the pay the result of perhaps many years' service. The privileged labourers on the staff get almost as much for the number of hours worked. It is quitepossible that these girls are keeping the home fires burning. I believe in pavment for service on results,, and if the heads are earning their money all well and good. Whilst comparisons are odious, it is amusing to hear the Mayor compare the salaries of the other cities with Christchurch. Take the city engineer, for instance. You would have to add to his present duties that of drainage, tramway, and electrical engineer to make any fair comparison, as in the other centres it is all under one head. Besides this, Christchurch is an easy city to engineer. The Labour party's policy in the past—that is before they controlled the council—was "low salaries" and high wages. Why the change?— Yours, etc., DOMICILE. i