M.E.D. SALARY INCREASES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23755, 29 September 1942, Page 4

M.E.D. SALARY INCREASES

Kesciadmg Motion Defeated COUNCIL’S DEBATE A motion to rescind a resolution of the City Council increasing the salariesof four senior officers of the Municipal Electricity Department was defeated by. 15 votes to two at a meeting 0 f the council last evening. The motion was supported only by Cr. H. E. Den- . ton, who moved it in accordance with notice, and by the seconder, the Mayor ' (Mr E. H. Andrews). ■ The motion referred to increases granted at the previous meeting to Messrs J. H. Denford (accountant), Q. ; H. Battersby (assistant engineer), J, C. Forsyth (electrical engineer), and E. Hitchcock (general manager). Cr. Denton said that, when all sections of the community were being , asked to make sacrifices because of- t 'V«&A war, it was not the lime to increastf/ salaries on a luxury level. He ap... v. preciated the efficiency of the M.E.D. V officers concerned, and he thought they found more reward in showing good results than in getting salary increases. ■. The salaries might have been fixed ■ at too high a level by previous councils. They were out of balance with salaries paid to other officers of thecouncil. ' The Mayor said he deprecated the , method adopted by Cr. Denton, but re. -a peated what he had said before: that f the time was not opportune to increase high salaries. He thought the elec- ) tricity committee in bringing down the ■ recommendations had done the officers- i a disservice, because it must be dis-. ■; tasteful to them to have their names - bandied about in public controversy. That was why he disagreed with C*. Denton’s method. It was questionable . whether the officers would get much out of the increases because of tax- ti ation. . i I Cr. F. S. Wilding,. chairman of the electricity committee, said the salaries of highly qualified engineers were, largely governed by salaries paid overseas. In England, salaries were fixed : according to the size of the undertaking, and on a comparable basis were ,■ higher than those paid in Christchurch. ' In .Australia a man in apposition com- j parable with that of the, general map. ; ager of the M.E.D. was paid £3OOO a year. The position in New Zealand was becoming alarming. A large pro- ; Portion of promising engineering «tu- ■. ents left New Zealand to seek opportunities overseas and did not. return,. To keep capable men good salaries... had to be paid. '‘ lv ‘ v ‘‘

Cr. Wilding said the unit cost to the consumer of power sold by the M.E.D. ‘ : gave a true picture of the efficiency of the undertaking. In 1920 it was' 2.965 d' in 1930 it was I.lßd, and in 1942 it wu .648 d. He quoted figures, to show .the rapid growth of the undertaking. , ; (;, Cr. M. E. Lyons said inquiries he had made into salaries paid by other cor* ‘ porations led him to support the .in* creases. Engineers of the Public ;Worta , Department were grossly underpaid, They were getting to the position’ in: New Zealand where they were tils.' counting brains, ability, and training for the job. The general manager’s l '! salary had not been increased since 1927, and they knew how the value' of , money had depreciated since then,'.'' Replying to the debate, Cr. Denton said his objection to the increases on the grounds of the sacrifices demanded: ' by the war had not been answered, / The voting on the division was at" follows: , , For.—The Mayor, Cr. Denton. Against: Crs. J. S. Sarnett. T. Green, C. D. Sheppard; M. McKean, G.' JD. ■ Griffiths, R. G, B:ro\yn, S. H. Mad* 1 dren, J. J. Hurley, M. Kershaw, H.» ' P. Donald, Wilding, J. N, Clarke, and Lyons. • ’ ' ■: