SUBSIDIES ON WAGES

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23002, 23 April 1940, Page 6

SUBSIDIES ON WAGES

EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL POSITION OF MEN KEPT AT HOME Christchurch City Council intends to cohsider further the position which has arisen over the subsidising of the wages of men who enlist from its staff, but who are retained in New Zealand for home service. It was suggested to the council last evening by the finance committee that the subsidy be paid “provided a man enlists for active service or is indispensable to the military authorities.” But some members of the council suggested that there ought to be a more definite assurance of “indispensability” and the proposal was referred back to the committee. The by-laws and finance committee reported that the committee had had several applications from employees who had enlisted for active service in regard to payment of the council’s subsidy on their military pay. The question had arisen whether this subsidy should be paid to those men who, although they had -enlisted, had not been sent on active service, but were being retained by the military authorities for home service. The committee asked for the council’s confirmation of the following resolution: “That provided a man enlists for active service or is indispensable to the military authorities, the subsidy be paid.”. “I know, from my own experience of the army, that it is possible for a great deal of wangling to go on among ' officers to ensure that a man be de-

clared indispensable,” said Cr. M. E. Lyons, when objecting to the wording of the resolution. “In fact, there are few employees in the employ of the council, beyond, perhaps, some of our professional heads of departments, who could be called indispensable to the army. We have the„. example of some of our good men,; more or less on loan from the council, doing work in camps that could be done by a clerk taken from the lists of the unemployed. I suggest that. a shilling advertisement would get a man who could do the work easily.” He moved an amendment designed to ensure that the military authorities and the council concur on the issue of “indispensability.” Cr. H. E. Denton, seconding the amendment, said that there were quite a number of you*-g married men with families who could do, on home service,, the work being done by young, single men, classed as “indispensable.” Elderly men, unfit for active service, could quite easily be used, in fact. ’‘There are quite a few jobs being done by young men that we older men

could do,” said Cr. E. H. Andrews. “A number of young men have been taken from jobs at from £3OO to £4OO a year, and put into these army jobs at home. I do not think it was ever intended that we should subsidise those who leave jobs here and take soft jobs in camps.” Cr. J. S. Barnett suggested that Cr. Lyons would put the position more equitably if he added to his amendment words which, instead of giving the military authorities the right to say a man was Indispensable, indicated that it should be given to the military and the council. Cr. Lyons agreed to that change. ‘ Cr. G. Manning questioned the ability of a member of the council to challenge the view of the military man as to a man’s indispensability. The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) suggested to the council that because of the importance of the item, it ought to be referred back to the committee. This course was agreed ou.