THOSE SALARY CUTS

Evening Star, Issue 20317, 28 October 1929, Page 8

THOSE SALARY CUTS

IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTORE THEM WHY RECLASSIFICATION WAS DELAYED NO ALTERATIONS IN THE SCHEDULES [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, October 28. “ I am not interested in the political position. Parliament sets the tune and I endeavour to play it as it should be played,” said Mr G. M'Namara, secretary of the P.ost and Telegraph Department, at the annual reunion of the Auckland section of the employees on Saturday night. “I am endeavouring to assist the service to reach its ends and to make it happy and contented in every way. Ten years ago I discussed the regrading we had then —tho best regrading wo have ever had. It brought the service fxom obscurity into tho limelight. “ I have said it, and I say it again, it is a physical impossibility to restore the cuts, and if anyone is so foolish as to try he will create greater anomalies than we have ever had in the past. You, as an association, are no longer interested in the cuts, but some of you want to know why reclassification is delayed this year. That list has been delayed deliberately in your interests. I wished to know the decision of the Government, which is right out of my hands. When the decision that the salary schedules were not to be altered was reached the other clay, after a delay caused by the illhealth of the Prime Minister, I proceeded with tho list. There have been no alterations in the schedules, and so the list will appear in due course. “ With regard to the schedules there has been a misunderstanding in some quarters. There is no provision in the Act for a new schedule every five years. Regrading is provided for every five years, while it can also be carried out from day to day. No Government of this country will give you a law permitting the schedules to be altered every five years. Parliament must control the expenditure of the country, and will not hand it over to me or any other head of a department.

“ I have seen other postal services in operation. You have been asking for the Australian system, but I say look before you leap. Distant fields look greener, but I. have full information in Wellington, down to the last detail, about the Australian system, and I can only say that 1 would be very sorry to see the Australian conditions imposed on the postal service of this dominion.”

“ WHERE IS THE MONEY TO COME FROM ? ’’ THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENTS “ I understand that there is a feeling of resentment that the position created in 1922 has never been rectified,” said the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy. ” So far as the Government is concerned, and so far as Parliament is concerned, there is a genuine desire to right any injustice which may have been done to the Post and Telegraph, or to any other branch, but where is tho money to come from?” The Alinister went on to outline the Government’s commitments, adding that the department’s profits totalled £30,000 last year, while the total salaries amounted to £300,000, and a further £200,000 was required to put the department on a sound business basis. “ As regards depreciation, I am not hero to make any promise, but I can say that reclassification of the service is at present going on,” he concluded.