BOROUGH SALARIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 April 1932, Page 2

BOROUGH SALARIES

TEN PER CENT. CUT. ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSION "That the salaries and wages of all Borough employees be reduced by 10 per cent.” The foregoing recommendation from the Finance Committee, presented to the Greymouth Borough Council, last evening, was responsible for an acrimonious debate, with Crs J. B. Kent and F. B. Lawn acting as the opposition. The matter had already been discussed in Finance Committee by the whole Council, but it was again debated in open meeting, although every Councillor had obviously made up his mind as to which way his vote would, go. The recommendation was finally adopted, and it was decided that the cut should operate on April 15. It was also decided, however, that the salaries of the lower-paid employees be reviewed, within three months, in order to alleviate any cases of hardship. The Mayor (Mr. J. W. Greenslade), after the recommendation was read, stated that there had been some discussion in committee, and it had been suggested that a proviso be added, to the effect that, in the event of some of the smaller-salaried employees being penalised by the 10 per cent, cut, their salaries should be reviewed in three months’ time, with a view to making them up to what the Council regarded as advisable. With the consent of the Council, he would add that proviso to the committee’s recommendation.

The Deputy-Mayor (Cr. J. B. Kent): I don’t think you can take the clause like that.

The Mayor: Excuse me, I am only making the suggestion. Cr. Kent: I refuse to be gagged! The Mayor: Excuse me, Cr. Kent, you are not gagged at all. You will have all the latitude you require, presently. Mr. Greenslade again suggested that the proviso be added to the recommendation, but this was received by a loud “No!” from Crs. Kent and Lawn. The Mayor moved that the recommendation be added to, as suggested. Cr. Kent said that discussion should not be burked like that. He alleged that the matter had not been discussed.

The Mayor pointed out that Councillors had every right to discuss it Cr. Kent: We have discussed nothing yet. The report has not been received, and no clause has been adopted. The Mayor: You are out of order! Cr. Kent: I am speaking to a point of order. “I will not take a point of order,’’ said the Mayor. “I move that the clause be amended.”

Cr. Kent said that it could not be amended without the consent of the whole Council, but several Councillors expressed the opinion that only a majority was required. The Mayor again moved that the clause be amended.

. Cr. G. Perotti: In or within three months.

Cr. F. A. Kitchingham £aid that the idea was that the matter be reviewed at the end of three months. Cr. R. J. Williams seconded the Mayor’s resolution. The Mayor invited discussion, saying that there was to be no burking.

“ILL-CONSIDERED DECISION.” In the first place, said Cr. Kent, he wished to protest against what he considered was a hasty and ill-consid-ered decision, reached by the Council at the meeting of the Finance Committee. Twenty minutes were not spent on the subject altogether. He had not heard any logical reason advanced for the cut, and he urged the Council, considering the importance of the matter, to give it further consideration. As a community, they had to live on wages, and for the Council to make a gesture of this kind would be a disservice to the people they represented. They knew that the system of cutting wages had been condemned, recently, by most of the business men, from the North Cape to the Bluff, and experience had shown that it injured business. He referred to the numerous petitions being forwarded to the Government, from Greymouth as well as other places. What was the reason for the cut proposed by the Council? He contended that the position of the Borough was better to-day than ever before, and referred to the numerous improvements in plant and buildings carried out recently. The position had considerably improved, and there was no necessity for a cut. It was not proposed to reduce the price of gas, water, rates, or killing fees at the abattoir. Cr Carroll said it was hoped to make reductions.

Cr. Kent retorted that it was all very well hoping. Why should employees be penalised, who were already under-paid? Unfortunately, they had no organisation, and they were at the mercy of the Council. A cut w’ould mean a decrease in the w r ages tax paid,, and that would not assist the Government. Cr. Kent went to to refer to w'hat he called the Government’s “five-years-plan” of cuts, but the Mayor objected, pointing out that the plans of the Government were not being discussed.

Cr. Kent said • that, simply because somebody else cut wages, it was not to say that the Borough Council should do it. That was a dog-in-the-manger attitude. Nothing had been shown to him to justify the cut. If it were going to benefit anyone, he would be the first to assist,, but he could not see ..any benefit. The Mayor: We will show yoit. You have not heard us yet. Cr. Kent: Why not discuss this before? Everyone has their mind made up. I hope the Council will give the matter further consideration. There is more in it than there seems, and it goes further than any of you imagine. Such a gesture should not come from the Council. Cr Lawn said he could realise that there must be a drop in wages, but he submitted that a 10 per cent, cut on some wages was too much. For instance, the Council had employees receiving much below £2OO per ajinum, and if they were reduced what was left would not be a living wage. One employee, with four years’ service, was getting £2/11/11 per week, and a 10 per cent, cut would bring him down to £2/6/11, and he was well over 21 years of age. Such wages were too low, and would not stand any cut.

Cr Perotti: That is added to the resolution.

Cr Lawn said that the employees, were giving good service, and would not be employed unless they were considered worthy of'their hire. He gave further instances of the wages paid and thb term of service of various employees, as follow: —Twentyfour years £2/10/- per week; 16 years, £2/5/-; 25 years, £3/5/-; mine years, £2. Referring to the gas department, he asked what business in the town, banking £BOOO per year, would be paying only £5/5/- per week in salaries? There should be no cut at all on employees receiving £2OO and under per annum. Those receiving from £2Ol to £4OO should receive a cut of 5 per cent., and those receiving from £4Ol to £6OO should receive a cut of 74 per cent. If any cut were made at all, the money derived from it should be put . aside especially for the reduction of the rates. If the Council did not do that with the money, it would simply go into the Consolidated Fund, and no one would get any special benefit. Cr Carroll said that he agreed with Cr Lawn, to a certain extent, but he also felt that the proviso added to the recommendation of the committee would make provision for the lowerpaid servants. Employees of that standing, on low wages, would be given undue hardship by a 10 per cent, cut. They would have the 5 per cent, wage tax to meet, as well. The proviso moved by the Mayor would meet the case. He felt sure that the Council would do the right thing. . As for placing the money on one side, he would not feel inclined to do that, at all. His idea was to make a straightout cut in the rates, as well as in the salaries, and when the time came. He would move in that direction. Cr Williams: And ground rents. “Cut the lot!” agreed Cr Carroll. Cr Kitchingham: You are making rash promises, now.

CASE FOR CUT. The Mayor said they recognised that it was a very unpopular move, and they did not rise with any pleasure to suggest that wages should be cut. After all, however, they knew that everyone was making sacrifices at present, and there was no reason why one body of people should bear sacrifice any more than another, if they penalised one section of the ratepayers, against the other, they would not be doing the right thing. The Council had had repeated requests asking when they were going to reduce salaries, including a written request from the Blaketown Ratepayers’ Association. There were also a large number of unemployed men, who were struggling for a bitter existence, and, even if the Council allocated the proceeds of the cut to the relief of distress, he did not think they would tie doing wrong. Seemingly, they could not find money in any other way to help the unemployed. Cr Kent had said that there was no logical reason for a cut, but Cr Kent had given no logical reason against it. The local merchants had suffered, owing to the cuts. Ci* Kent: If we make cuts, they will go out of business altogether! The Mayor said that everyone must come down to a common basis. Presuming that the Council’s finances would permit, some relief could be given to the ratepayers. So long as everything came down, it would not matter a rap. They should be solidly behind every movement to bring down the cost of living. It had been said that the Council was in a better position now than ever it was, but it was £2OOO behind on March 31, as compared with the previous year. They were in a far worse position, so far as actual cash was concerned. Some of the lower-paid servants of the Council —for instance, a single girl with -£2/10/- or £3 per week —were far Ibetter off than a man who had a wife land family to keep. Some people .were condemning cuts, but, after all, They were only a certain section of the ocmmunity, So far as the

SIGNING OF PETITIONS was concerned, it was known that business people did so, feeling that their business would be imperilled ff they did not do so. The Council 'did not want to cut wages, but there had got to be a levelling, and they had, if possible, to get all sections of the community on a common basis. Cr C. Neville, in seconding the resolution, said that he supported the Mayor’s remarks in every detail. If they did not cut salaries, they would not be fair to the ratepayers. They must remember that they had ratepayers who were finding it very hard indeed to carry on. The Borough staff had had no cut at all, so far. If the money was not used to reduce the rates, however, he would not be in favour of a cut.

Cr Williams endorsed the Mayor’s remarks about the signing of petitions by business people. Some of them had had to put their employees off, one week out of four.

Cr J. McGinley also supported the Mayor, on condition that the wages of tho lower-paid employees should be reviewed, and that the rates should be reduced. The rates were now too high. RULES OF DEBATE. Cr Lawn rose at this stage, and wished to move an amendment. Cr Carroll raised a point of order, and expressed his objections in a voice of shouting pitch, punctuated by blows of his fist on the table. Crs Lawn and Kent had no right to speak a second time, he declared, to the resolution which was moved by the. Mayor, and seconded by Cr Neville. Every Councillor had had the opportunity of speaking. The Mayor had the right of reply, and no one else. If they required a copy of the rules of debate, he could supply one. “Let us conduct business on business lines,” he said, “and not go on all night! ” Cr Perotti said he would support the resolution, provided that the position were reviewed in the next three months.

Cr Lawn again endeavoured to speak. “I object!” shouted Cr Carroll, angrily. “1 rise to a point of order!” Cr Lawn, persisting, said that promises were easily broken, and he doubted very much whether the matter would be reviewed.

The Mayor: Are you moving an amendment ?

Cr Carroll again raised a point of order, declaring that they could not sit there all night, and take speeches whenever Councillors wanted to make them., He had been on the Council for two or three years, and was “sick and tired” of sitting at the meetings, as they were conducted. The DeputyMayor and others ought to know the rules of discussion. “They are a disgrace!” he shouted, banging the table, “and no other town in New’

Zealand would stand for it! They have had their say. Let them sit down!” ‘ , The Mayor said that Cr Lawn had an amendment he wished to move. “Let him move his amendment, if he has got it,” said Cr Carroll, "I am sick of this!” The Mayor said that Cr Lawn should have moved his amendment earlier, but, in view of the importance of the subject, some latitude in debate had been allowed. Cr Lawn then moved, as an amendment, that there be no cut in salaries of £2OO and under; a cut of 5 per cent, in salaries of from £2Ol to £400; and a cut of 74 per cent.-in salaries of from £4Ol to £6OO. The amendment was seconded by Cr Kent. On being put, it was defeated, only the mover and seconder voting for it. ' Cr Kent wished to move a further amendment, but the Mayor ruled that notice had not been given, and that it was too late. Cr Kent said he supposed it would not do much good, as most of the Councillors seemed to have made up their minds. However, some of them had accomplished a volte face, in supporting the Mayor’s proviso. The resolution was carried on the voices, as folloivs: That the salaries and wages of all Borough employees be reduced by 10 per cent., and that, in the case of lower-paid servants, their salaries be reviewed in or within three months, to ascertain if any hardship has been placed, upon them. Cr Kent gave notice of motion, that the matter be reviewed at the Council’s next meeting. Cr Neville moved that, in framing the estimates, it be a recommendation that the money saved by the cut be allocated to the reduction of the rates.

Cr Carroll said that was not the right procedure at all. The proper thing to do was, when striking the rates, to reduce them by the amount they were reducing salaries. Cr Neville said that was the purpose of his resolution, and it was approved. The Town Clerk (Mr F. H. Denton) pointed out that a date had not been fixed for the operation of the cut. Cr Kent suggested that it should come into operation after the next meeting of the Council, when his notice of motion would have been discussed.

The Mayor moved, and Cr Robertson seconded, that the cut operate on April 15. Cr Kent moved, as an amendment, that the mattei' be deferred until after the Council’s next meeting.

The amendment was not seconded, and the resolution was approved.