PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 November 1918, Page 3

PUBLIC SERVANTS.

INCREASED PAY GRANTED. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. [By Electric Telegraph—Special to “Star.”/ WELLINGTON, October 31. A very important decision by Cabinet was announced to day by the Prime Minister. Mr. Massey said that owing to the greatly increased cost of living the Government had been considering the question of pay and war bonus to officers in the Public Service, and had been determined to place on the Estimates for this year the sum of £589,000, in addition to the ordinary scale in the classes of salary to winch the public servants are entitled under the classification scheme ; also in addition to the existin''- war bonus.

The amount expended in the war bonus last year in the Public Sen-ice amounted to £-103,000, and it will therefore be seen that the total extra amount to be paid to the public servant si consequent upon the increased cost of living due to the war is represented by roughly £1,000,000 per annum.

The additional sum of £589,000 provides for increased pay to cadets upon entering the sendee, an additional bonus to officers of the Railway Department, increased pay for the Police Force, increased pay and bonus to teachers and others in tue Education Department, increased pay to the Prisons Department, special promotion in the service recommended by the Commissioner, and an addition to the ivar bonus throughout the rest of the services.

These extra emoluments are granted to the lowest paid officials in the service, and it is hoped that the increased pay and bonuses referred to will have the effect of relieving civil sen-ants of difficulties which they have recently experienced owing to the great increased cost of living due to the war.