PUBLIC SERVICE SALARIES

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1949, Page 3

PUBLIC SERVICE SALARIES

WELLINGTON. Aug 15. fhe Public Service Commission, in its annual report, criticised the margin between the salaries of departmental heads and those of business heads in private enterprise and in State organisations. It mentioned tne salaries of the chairman of the new Licensing Commission and the Governor of the Reserve Bank among the latter group. Figures released by the Government Statistician suggest other examples. The biggest salary received by a departmental head is the £2025 of the secretary of the Treasury. There must be close to 700 people in I)£ew Zealand with an assessable income above mat. No later figure is available than from the income tax assessments for the year 1946-47, and at that time the figure was 659. Public servants must, of course, be included in this. The Government Statistician reveals that at the’ encl of 1946, 516 New Zealanders received an assessable income (not including company dividends) of between £2OOO and £2999; 87 received between £3OOO and £3999; 34 received between £4OOO and £4999, 11 between £5OOO and £5999; 7 between £6OOO and £6999; four received about £7OOO. ■ These figures include ’interests rent, and share in a business, bu* in no cae is the salary less than 50 per cent, of accessable income. There were 146 public servants in the classified and permanent positions in the Railways Department. Post and Telegraph Department, and in departmental positions coming under the Public Service Commission who received between £lOOO and £2OOO a year in 1945-4 G. None received over £2OOO i Many have received small increases since. Some heads of organisations taken over by the Government are better treated, with salaries over £3OOO. A dozen other State employees. including the chairman of the Licensing Commission (£2250), and Judges of the Supreme Court received between £2OOO and £3OOO. Other examples are, the Public Service Commission, the chairman of which receives £1750, and the Waterfront Industry Commission, where tiie chairman “receives £1750.