THE SALARY CUTS

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 20

THE SALARY CUTS

HON. W. B. TAVERNER'S REPLY [Special to the ‘ Star.’] WELLINGTON, October 26. Replying to the Dunedin branch or the Festal Employees’ Association’s telegram of protest against the Government’s failure to restore the salary cuts, the Hon. W. B. Taverner has wired the Dunedin secretary as follows : “ Referring to your telegram of 23rd inst. regarding the restoration of salary cuts, I regret the circumstances which operate against the general restoration of cuts in the Post and Telegraph Department, but would point out that other departments are affected, including the Railway Department, which is under my control, and which has a much larger number of officers than the Cost and Telegraph Department. “The fact that he (the Prime Minister) as Minister of finance has not found it possible to accede at present to the request should not be accepted as indicating the unwillingness of the Government to improve the conditions of public servants. As will be known to your members, the Government has had to give serious attention to relieving the position of men who had .been unable to obtain work and whose genuine distress, entitled _ them to first consideration. There is also the liability created by the earthquake disaster, and which renresents a sum not yet fully ascertainable. “It is hardiv necessary to point out that Government resources are not unlimited, and as a member of the Goverrment 1 am aware, ns has been stated bv the Minister of Finance, that the present is unfortunately not an opportune time to restore the cuts, if any regard is to be had for the safeguarding of the country’s finances; “ I desire to assure your association that no one would be more pleased than.l, if the_Minister of Finance had fbuild it possible, to assist 'the-Civil Service in the direction requested, and I sincerely hope that one of the ultimate results of the measures being taken by the Government to improve the dominion’s financial position will be that favourable consideration may be given the claims of the service.”