CITY STAFF CUTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 12, 14 July 1931, Page 8

CITY STAFF CUTS

NOT BELOW £208

FOR FAMILY MEN

SOME' SPECIAL CASES

During past discussions by the City ■' Council regarding the application of the 10 per cent, cut to the salaries of Corporation officers and the holding.over of annual increments, several anomalies ; were pointed out, and it was decided that further consideration should 'bo ■ given these points. Last night the council, in order to clarify the position, adopted tlio following resolutions, which supersede all previous conflicting resolutions: — (a) That no special increases', what- • ever from grade to grade bo granted for '■' this year. ■ (b) That salary increases be granted ■ (as recommended by the Staff Commit- - tee on 25th June) to thoso officers re- ;• ceiving less than £208 per annum previously; such increases to be affected as - from Ist April, 1931, but in no cases are such salaries to exceed £208 after tho . 10 per cent, cut is applied. • (c) That the 10 per cent, cut in salaries he effective as from Ist July, 1931) v 'except in cases of married officers with ■ dependants, whoso salaries are not to be reduced below £208 per annum. In the case of married officers with dependants receiving less than £208 per annum no reductions of salary are to be made. POSITION MISREPRESENTED. There was much feeling ..in council '.circles to-day over the publication of a paragraph relating to a discussion of ' salary cuts taken in committee by the ' '-council iast night, for, said an executive officer this morning, the facts were : quite different from what was suggested by the manner in. which tho para- : graph was set out. There was no suggestion, he said, that ; the three officers, the City Engineer, the City Treasurer] and tho City Solicitor, should bo in anyway exempted .' from the salary cut which applied to ■ other officers. Those officers simply re- •; ported to the council upon special aspects of the cut applying to the service. THE REPORTS. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, this , afternoon handed these repprts to a .; "Post" reporter. ' They are summarised :. by the reporter as follows: — The City Engineer reported that certain outside employees were receiving • allowances over and above their regular wages, in the way of dirt money, "• wet time, steam time, • stand-by time, '.."•bonuses for night watchmen, special .■ duties, and reservoir watchmen. He asked a direction from the council whether ; these special allowances were to be sub-ject-to a 10 per cent, cut as in the case of the ordinary wages paid the men concerned. , ' ■ The City Treasurer asked to be advised whether any reduction was to.be ,' made in five special allowances (three. 'cases of £50 horse allowances to rangers, and two of house allowances of £50 . and £65 per annum). ' ' The report of the City Solicitor dealt with the special case of the City Engineer. The 10 per cent, cut has applied to the engineer's, salary as in the case of salaries of all other officers, but the question was whether the cut should apply to tho superannuation allowance. The solicitor' advised that this special . allowance should not be affected, as it was agreed upon at the time of Mr. Hart's appointment. ; The council adopted this view; and on the other points decided that the house and horse allowances should be subject to the cut, but that the other special rates (dirt money, wet time, etc.) should not bo cut."