SALARIES AND FINANCE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 254, 21 July 1920, Page 8

SALARIES AND FINANCE

MEMBERS FAVOUR INCREASES FOR JUDGES \ , THE TREASURER'S DIFFICULTY Amoisdmcnts t<} ithe Judicature Ainoiulinent Bill were introduced by Message, and were subsequently considered by the Houso in Committee oil the* Bill. The amendments provided for increases of salary to the Chief Justice of .£250, and to other Judges of .£2OO, to make the 6alary of the Chief Justice J'2250, and of the other Judges .£'2ooo. As was clear from another Bill before tho llouee, this addition to salary is by way of compensation for increased income * lax, which the Judges will have to continue to pay. Mr. It.* M'Callum urged that the Government should withdraw "the beggarly increase" and provide a really proper addition to salaries of Tudges. Mr. Isitt also supported the demand that Judges should be better paid. This country must learn that it must pay adequately for sen-ices of men of great ability in posts of responsibility. Mr. J. A. Hanan, supporting a further increase, mentioned among those fie it tints of the country inadequately paid the Prime Minister. Mr. Holland contended that all values of work should be "social" values, and that on such an assessment :t was not possible for a man to earn more than -61000 a year. Ho find other labour memters urged that the mora pressing claims of State pensioners and lower paid Slato servants should have attention before those of Judges .or any other highly paid servants of the "State. Mr. Isitt repudiated any suggestion thflt in_showing concern for the claims of Judges he was deaf to the claims of those "in greater need of rewards sufficient to support them decently; Mr. Massey said, a few words about the financial situation in relation to demands bcinsmade. "I ask the House to consider this matter for a moment from the point cf view of the Treasurer," said Mr'. Massey. "This morning I was engaged as Minister of Finance in providing for increases of salaries amounting in all to not less than two million pounds per annum. It is an enormous sum, but it has .to be faced." He went on to say that among those servants of the State fcr whom increases of salary had to be provided were Judges of the Supreme Court, Magistrate?, members of Parliament, railway servants, postal officials, other branches of the Public .Service, 6chool teachers, and the police. Fortunately the Treasury was in such a position 'that so soon as the increases were ordered he would : be in a position to authorise payment. He did not think it would be necessary to increase taxation to provide for th'i> payment of the two millions this year, and he hoped that lie might no,t have" to do it next year. This would depend on tho markets for our produce, on which the whole community lived, but he feared that there, might bo a drop in prices within a. year or two. The people of the "Dominion; however, would have to faco an increase in railway fares and freights, for the increases of pay to railway servants would have to be ■ borne by the railway service itself. So also with the Postal Department. Thero would have to be inoreases in postal and telegraph rates, and by this means the Department would bear the cost of its own increases of salary. He feared that us the other Departments were not revenue earning in' quite the same way, tho increases for them would have to be borne by the Consolidated Fund. Fortunately there had been surpluses in the past yeat or t.wo, and it was on account of this that he hoped to be able to provide the extra money without further taxation. The outlook for the present year was good. The country was prosperous and money .was plentiful. But we miift look ahead to consider what the position would be when the prices for our produce might not be 60 good, for there was more than a possibility that ere long they would not be 60 good. For this reason w« should not go too fast, and he thought we were going just as fast and as far as, the oonntry oould afford. .Members would be told all about this when tho Financial Statement came down next week. He had intended that the State, mont should be made to the House next Tuesday. He would try to be ready by that day, but if he should not be ready •he might ask the House to give him Wednesday. When the Statement was presented members would know something more of tho demands being made on tne Treasury, and would know what the Government could meet and what it could not meet. The time might come when the Government would have to increase the salaries of some of the higher officers of State; Ho was prepared to admit that some of the heads of Departments were not now being adequately paid. Mr. Hanan: Some of them are not worth what they get. Mr. Massey said that this was always the case in a big service. Possibly the same might be said cf members r.f Parliament. Ho recognised the importance • of the position held by Judges, and if funds would jiermit ho would have much satisfaction in proposing further inoreases for them. After Mr. Massey had mode his statementj Mr. M'Callum, who hid submitted an amendment to reduce the salaries of Judges by one pound as an indication to tho Government that the proposals made were inadequate, asked leave to withdraw his amendment, and it was withdrawn sooordingly. Tho Bill wes reported as amended.