ITEMS DISCUSSED

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 32, 7 August 1916, Page 8

ITEMS DISCUSSED

When the House of Representatives resumed at 2 p.m. to-day the Supplementary Estimates were brought down. On the motion to go into Committee of_ Supply Mr. Wilford asked the Minister for Finance if. the war bonus for teachers applied also to technical schools.

Sir Joseph Ward said he could not say at once whether such provision were made. Personally he thought there should be.

Mr. G. J. Anderson protested' against increases being given to high-salaried officers at a time like this, when they were told that expenditure on roads for the backblocks had to/be cut down;

Mr. J. C. Thomson- also protested against increases to officers receiving over £300 per annum. He endorsed what had been said by Mr. Anderson.

. The Minister for Finance said that the increases on these estimates amounted to about £1200. The ordinary increases were provided for in the main Estimates, and the increases in these Estimates were all in cases which called for action by Parliament. No increases were given' to these ■ officers last session. In some cases to fail to grant the increase would be an act of gross injustice. He referred to the case of an officer who was tentatively appointed, .at a salary of £25 '. below the minimum, to a position where he had to handle an annual revenue of £5,100,000. In another case, the Inspector-General for Public Health' had saved an expert's salary by undertaking extra work, and this had been recognised. All lower-paid servants had been provided for in the main Estimates. Mr. Hindmarsh said the State Fire Insurance Department had commenced to charge 2s 6d for transferring a policy when a house was sold. This, he considered was an imposition. The Minister said he would look into the matter. Mr. R. A. Wright suggested that the Civil Service' war bonus should be distributed on a definite percentage basis, and that "permanent casuals" should be included. , (Left sitting.)