NO DISMISSALS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1931, Page 11

NO DISMISSALS

FROM COUNCIL SERVICE

MR. HISLOP IS DEFINITE

CUT NOT FAVOURED

A straight out denial of a rumour that his policy of rates reduction would mean tho dismissal of a number of corporation employee's was made by Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, tho Civic League and Eatopayers' Association candidate for the Mayoralty, speaking at Morningtou last evening. "It has been put about by people who are not perhaps my friends," said Mr. Hislop, '' that my proposals for redueiug street works and reserves qxpendituro are forecasts of the dismissal of a large number of men. That is absolutely incorrect and false: I have never said nor implied such a thing and it is not in accord with my. policy at all." Though the street works .expenditure might be substantially reduced, as he was advocating, said Mr. Hislop, that need not mean the dismissal of men, for the manner in which the money was spent had a great bearing upon the question of employment. In the past year a great deal had been spent on paving and surface sealing, but by devoting a greater amount to footpaths and by internal efficiency the council should'bo able to carry on with as groat efficiency as in. the past and without the dismissal of employees. LESS SPECIAL EXPENDITURE. Ho had.stated that in his opinion the reserves expenditure could be reduced by about £5000, and that without .any loss of efficiency, and again without the dismissal of men. Last year £8000 was spent upon special reserves works and buildings, and that expenditure would not be entailed this year. Some members of the Reserves Committee had assured him that a greater saving than £5000 could be made without any loss of .efficiency and without turning men off, but he was not going to speak of a larger saving thaii he was sure could be effected. '" It had also been put round among the Corporation employees, continued Mr. Hislop, that his suggested reductions in the refuse collection vote would entail the displacement of a large number of men. DEFINITE ABOUT IT. "I said no such thing, and' I may say-now'that nothing'l do will ever be done with that object in view. I did suggest that a reduction: could bo mado because tip till 1929 we had tho whole' of that work carried out for not more than £20,000, whereas last -year the cost was £25,000, and the reason for that, in the main, was that in. tho past year improved plant had been ..purchased. We are not going on buying new plant every year, and that expenditure will not be incurred this year. "There is no saving which I have suggested which, if carried into effect ■ will have the effect of dismissing a single employee of the City Council," continued Mr. Hislop; "I would say that I would be falie to a trust should I advocate any policy which would unnecessarily .displace one man, and I.say that, not1 only because I think it a wrong principle to advocate saving at the expense-of the. employees, but becauso I am proud of the fact that during the period that my father was in the office of Mayor of this city nobody did more to assist properly those who wero in the employ of tho Corporation. I. will be no party to any policy which will take from the employees their daily bread." , CASE OF SALARIED OFFICERS. In.answer to a question at the-end of. his address, Mr. Hislop said that, ho did not look 'favourably upon' the idea of a cut in tho' salaries of council, officers, for from the information he had so far been, able to gather he could not see that such general cuts were justified. Because the Government had imposed a 10 per cent, cut was not a sound reason for such a cut in the salaries of council officers, continued Mr. Hislop, for the positions were very different. "Tho. Government has to meet overseas debts, and as one means7of meeting them' has- resorted to- the cut in order to reduce domestic expenses. A municipality lives within itself, though it has some overseas debts to meet certainly, and I think that before talking 'cut' it should see how its salaries compare with those paid some years ago. I have been endeavouring to obtain a comparison between the salaries of 1914 and the present time, and I am. pretty certain that, apart from annual increments, the figures will show that the council is paying no moro than in 1914, except, perhaps, in certain special instances. I would be very loath to disturb the salaries of members of the council staff, and certainly would not consider reductions-which would bring them below what was paid in 1914. "It has been said that the council should cut 10 per cent, because tho Government is doing so," concluded Mr. Hislop, "but I do not believe in panic legislation, and I do not believe' in- doing things because other people, do them. I would not consider reductions until tho council had made a very careful investigation."