DISCRETIONARY POWER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20190, 7 March 1940, Page 7

DISCRETIONARY POWER

SOLDIERS’ PAY SUBSIDY LOCAL BODY EMPLOYEES (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The question of uniformity for the treatment of employees who enlist was discussed at the Municipal Association conference this morning. It was decided to leave each local body free to act as it thought fit. A circular sent out by the association’s emergency committee some time ago did not recommend any subsidy to the soldiers’ rate of pay by local bodies, the reason being that it would mean unfair discrimination in favour of soldiers who were employees of local bodies against other soldiers who were not. This principle, the circular said, was apparently recognised by the Government, which was making no such payment to public servants who enlisted. Mr. J. A. C. AUitm, Auckland, complained that the decision was reached by a committee of three but not by the executive as a whole whose decision would have been different. The president. Mr. T. Jordan, said the decision was confirmed by the executive though not unanimously. It was not desirable that an enlisted ratepayer should be in the same tent as a subsidised employee. Congratulations were extended to the Mayors of New Lynn, Mr. Raymond, Invercargill, Mr. Hanan, and Petone, Mr. London, on having joined up for overseas service.