Dismissals from State' Services

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 68, 14 December 1931, Page 13

Dismissals from State' Services

Sir,—lt is noticeable that further dismissals are taking place in some of the Government services. When, may I ask, are the highly-paid officials going to have their -salaries further reduced? Such a course must' result in keeping a greater - number of men in employment, which would save expenditure in the matter of maintaining the unemployed. It is deplorable the lack of vision for nearly 15 , months past now on the part of the Government in this respect. Heavier taxation is also further brought about by unduly excessively salaried men in the; Government service. The more men employed even at £3 per week the greater the distribution of buying power,’; which has ultimate good effect on trade. The monetary value of business of Government departments must be depreciated by fully thirty-three and a third per centum, and yet ten per cent, “cut” has only been instituted so far. The methods are certainly, to say the* least, very crude and unduly harsh. Is it because departmental heads are blind to everything else but their own interests? Then again the question of revision of superannuated Government officials should at once be taken into consideration; those who are receiving over £BOO per annum should be reduced to £7OO. and very fortunate they would be in. the present financial depression to receive such a sum. The question also. should be gone into where retired officials are on high pensions and are having their services engaged in other directions at also high remuneration. One only wants to recall to mind the action of the Bank of New Zealand about forty years ago when that •concern was passing through a parlous period; they made drastic inroads into the most poorly paid retired officials’ pension. The Government certainly does not want to have to come to such a reprehensible step as to curtail only moderately paid officers’ superannuation, but if they do not shovy some wisdom now there is no-' thing surer but that will come. The public also are waiting to see what the Government’s policy is in the direction of further economies. . . .—I am. etc.. R. F. E. FILDES Wellington. December 11.