REDUCED INCOMES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 17, 14 October 1933, Page 8

REDUCED INCOMES

Magistrates’ Petition to Parliament

RESULT OF ECONOMIES

Dissatisfaction with the remuneration at present being received by them for their services is expressed in a petition signed by 15 Stipendiary Magistrates which was presented to the House of Representatives by Mr. W. I*. Endean (Govt., Parnell). On his motion the petition was referred direct to the Statutes Revision Committee. The petitioners take the ground that whatever economies may be necessary no steps should be taken which might tend to affect the administration of justice. After expressing their dissatisfaction with the present position, tlie petitioners state that prior to April 1,1930, the annual salary of each of the tour principal magistrates was £lOOO, and that of each of the other magistrates was £900; but by legislative enactment these salaries have now been reduced to £787/10/- and £7OB/5/- respectively. These incomes have been further reduced by additional taxation and by a proportionately higher rate of deduction to provide for their retiring allowances. They assert that the present income of a magistrate, after taking into account the deductions for retiring allowance, taxation and fixed commitments such as life insurance and rent, etc., is inadequate to enable him and his family to live in a state of comfort commensurate with his status m the community. Such net income is in some instances but little ovei £4OO, and financial embarrassment has arisen They claim that their duties are onerous and difficult and involve’very grave responsibilities, and should be rewarded by the payment of salaries which would permit of them living in reasonable comfort and keeping fiee from debt. The signatories claim that they dispose of by far the largest part of the judicial work of the Dominion, and exercise a jurisdiction wider than that of the magistrates and county court judges in England. Each year their statutory duties are being Increased. The nature of a magistrate's work necessitates him keeping apart from much of the commercial life of the community, and precludes him from engaging in any other form of money making. 1 They consider that the constitutional principle of fixed salaries for the judiciary should be adhered to by the Government, so that those who have to administer the laws of the Dominion and who have often to stand between the Government and the people should be in a state of complete independence and not be Hable to have their salaries reduced by the Government of the day. They are fully conversant with the necessity for public economy which has existed since April 1, 1930, but consider that whatever means of economy may have to be resorted to no steps should be taken which may tend to affect the administration of justice.

The petition is signed by Messrs. Wyvern Wilson, F. K. Hunt, and W, R. McKean, Auckland; S. L. Paterson and W, L. Platts, Hamilton; E. Page, J. S. Barton, and W. F. Stilwell, Wellington; A. M. Mowlem, Napier; W. H, Woodward, New Plymouth; H. A. Yeung, E. D. Mosley, and H. P. Lawry, Christchurch; J. R. Bartholomew and H. W. Bundle, Dunedin.

STATE FORESTRY

Fewer New Plantations

GROWTH IN EXPORTS

Since practically all the South Island plantations are fully planted, the future planting operations of the State Forest Service will be confined to the North Island, states the annual report of the Director of Forestry, Mr. A. D. McGavock, which was presented in the House of Representatives. . The severe financial crisis through which the Dominion is passing has been reflected in the decreased area of new plantations established during the year. This area was under 16,000 acres, the smallest since 1925. The total plantation establishment is 363,700 acres. The projected planting programme for the coming season is 35,000 acres, of which about 30,000 acres are in the North Island.

The report says that practically all of the work of planting was carried out by relief labour, and it was to be regarded as reasonably satisfactory. It was pleasing to note that sawmillers generally were gradually beginning to realise the necessity for kiln-drying their timber. Kiln-drying was extensively practised in America and Europe, and unless New Zealand timber merchants were prepared to adopt similar methods they could not hope to compete with foreign countries on level terms.

The quantity of timber exported in 1932 exceeded the 1931 total by nearly 19,000.000 feet board measure, with a greater value of over £BO,OOO. On the other hand, the imports for the same period showed a shrinkage of over 60 per cent. A revival in the wood-con-suming industries in Australia had restored the export trade in Otago and Southland silver beech to 1,500,000 ft. for 1932. It was probable that as the result of the visit of the timber delegation to England a profitable export trade would be developed with the United, Kingdom, and already initial orders had been booked for over 500,000 feet. Describing the year’s work as varied and arduous, the report mentions that the increase In mining activities in State forests throughout the Dominion had added greatly to the work in certain regions, notably Auckland, Nelson, and Westland. The report givps the following figures showing the areas of State forests as at March 31, 1933 State Forests— Acres, Ordinary 2,552,678 National Endowment.. 367,328 Provisional State Forests — Ordinary 3,388,371 National Endowment .. .1,533,061 Total 7,841,438