P. & T. SALARIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 October 1929, Page 7

P. & T. SALARIES

AUCKLAND COMPARISONS “INSINCERE SENTIMENTS” .. (Special to ‘‘Star.”) AUCKLAND, October 11. “We are in hearty accord with the slogan ‘more business, in Government,’ and the suggestion of placing the Civil Service and State enterprises on a commercial business footing, but from bitter’ experience we feel and know that those responsible for echoing such sentiments, are really insincere.” 9’u- ' -?’•>< was made by the Auckland Telegraph Economic Committee to-day. The Committee says it has been able to gather certain information that would permit the salaries paid to the executive and administrative officers of the Department, to be shown in an unfavourable light, in comparison with those paid to similarly classed officers on the salary list of the Auckland City Council. It is pointed out that a Department which holds securities valued at £49,000,000 and conducting an efficient service, finds itself in an invidious position in comparison with business institutions. “The salaries paid are set out in sequence to permit our unfavourable position to be more closely viewed for the purpose of comparison : —The Town Clerk, Auckland City Council, £1500; City Engineer, Auckland City Council, £1500; Manager of Auckland Transport Board £l5OO, Secretary of Post and Telegraph Department £l3OO, Chief Telegraph Engineer Post and Telegraph Department £1250, First Assistant Secretary of Post and Telegraph Department £lO5O, City Treasurer of Auckland City Council £lOOO, Tramway and City Electric Engineer of' Auckland City Council £950, second Assistant Secretary of Post and Telegraph Department £950, Assistant City Engineer of Auckland City Council £9OO, Assistant Town Clerk of Auckland City Council £BOO, City Valuer of Auckland City Council £BOO, Chief Postmaster, Auckland, £790 10/, District Telegraph Engineer, Auckland, £790 10/, Chief Accountant Transport Board £750, Telegraph Engineer, Auckland, £665, Law and Committee Clerk of Auckland City Council £650, Traffic Superintendent of Tramways of Auckland City Council £650, Chief Sanitary Inspector of Auckland City Council £650, Waterworks Superintendent of Auckland City Council £650, Chief Clerk and Tramway Cashier of Auckland City Council £650, Manager of Abattoirs £650, Chief Traffic Inspector of the Auckland City Council £650, Chief Librarian of Auckland City Council £650, Telegraph Engineer of Auckland £615, Assistant Chief Postmaster G.P.0., Auckland, £615, Parks Superintendent of Auckland City Council £6OO, City Organist, Auckland City Council £6OO, Engineer’s Assistant Auckland City Council (plus £5O bonus) £6OO, Accountant Chief Post Office, Auckland, £565, Assistant Telegraph Engineer, Auckland, £565, Senior Superintendent of Telegraph Branch C.P.0., Auckland, £565, Garage Superintendent of the Auckland City Council £550, Chief Building Inspector of Auckland City Council £550, Bandmaster of Auckland City Council £520, Superintendent of Mails G.P.0., Auckland, £515, Superintendent of Money Order and Savings Bank G.P.O. Auckland, £515, Checking Officer of Auckland City Council £5OO, Rolling Stock Superintendent of Auckland City Council £5OO, Overhead Superintendent of Auckland City Council £5OO, Superintendent of Claims Auckland City Council £5OO, Chief Draughtsman General Post Office, Wellington. £470. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, controlling a staff of 11,727 officers, will be seen to possess a salary value of £2OO below that paid to the Town Clerk, Manager of the Transport Board, and City Engineer. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, who directly controls a Chief Post Office staff of 713 officers and a district staff of 908, making a grand total of 1617, 78 permanent offices and 381 non-permanent offices and officers, or a grand total, of 459 post and telegraph offices altogether, and who is responsible for approximately 350 mail contracts, ranks in salary value £9 10/ below that paid to the City Council Valuer, and the Assistant Town Clerk. “For the purposes of further comparisons, the following salaries paid in Auckland may also be interesting:— Town Clerk, Mount Eden Borough Council £750, Engineer Mount Eden Borough Council £B5O, Manager of the Bank of New Zealand £2500, Manager of the Auckland Savings Bank £2OOO. The District Telegraph Engineer with a staff of 801 officers, who controls millions of pounds of valuable electrical plant, and administers a district that reaches from the North Cape to Gisborne, commands a salary value of a minor executive officer of the City Council staff.

DEBATE IN HOUSE GOVT. STATEMENT NEXT WEEK (Special to “Star") WELLINGTON, October 11. The aftermath of to-day’s amendment in the House by Mr. H. E. Holland that the P. T. Department vote on the estimates be reduced by £2 as a recommendation to the Government that the salary cuts should be restored, was that the amendment was withdrawn. Speaking after lunch, Mr. Wilford said he had discussed the matter in the interval with the Prime Minister, who was absent, indisposed, and Sir J. Ward had stated that he intended as soon as possible after his return to the House to make a full and complete statement in regard to civil servants, affected by the. cut, when an opportunity of discussing the matter would be afforded. Mr. Holland said in view of this assurance, he wished to withdraw the amendment. Mr| Samuel alleged that the Labour Party had not been sincere in moving the amendment otherwise they would not have asked for withdrawal. This suggestion was refuted by .Mr. Holland and Mr. Fraser who stated that if the amendment were withdrawn, the discussion could be resumed, after the Prime Minister had made his promised statement to the House. If that statement were not satisfactory the Labour party would move the amendment again. Mr. Samuel accepted Mr. Holland’s declaration that he had been absent

from the House, when the PostmasterGeneral had intimated Sir J. Ward was to make an announcement next week, and the incident closed with the withdrawal of the amendment. The P. and T. estimates were passed also those of the Prisons and Pensions Departments.