THE ROAR FOR RETRENCHMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1753, 13 October 1887, Page 2

THE ROAR FOR RETRENCHMENT.

What Sir R. Stout called the roar for retrenchment has founed com paratively mild expression in the Governor's Speech. The Premier has signified his intention of asking for a fortnight's adjournment, in order to enquire thoroughly into the financial position of the colony, and to enable him to come down with definite and radical retrenchment proposals. It is, we think, a foregone conclusion, that no all round five, ten, or fifteen per cent, reduction of salaries will ever again be proposed. In 1879 the ridicule which resulted from the absurd 2s reduction in the 20s annual salaries of country sub-postmasters, capped by the issue of a ten per cent, reduction circular to a Southland postmaster, who was doing duty "free, gratis, for nothing," rendered impossible any future attempt to levy an all round percentage on civil servants' salaries. The necessity for extreme care in the application for retrenchment can scarcely be too strongly insisted upon. New Zealand's most skilled railway experts, some of her smartest insurance officials, and several of her best Hansard reporters have been tempted away from her shores, by the higher salaries given by other Australian colonies. New Zealand had trained those men in ber service, they bad

graduated and passed up to the top" of their profession ; yet, although, by reason of' their New Zealand experi-^ ence they were necessarily more t valuable servants in New Zealand than elsewhere, they have been welcomed by other colonies, who believe it is profitable to them to offer first-class pay, in order to attract first-class men. There is also another aspect of the retrenchment question. Instances could be cited where good men, capable, painstaking, valuable servants of the State, instead of being fit subjects for retrenchment and reduction of salary, ought, if justice were done, to receive higher pay. We know of one officer in the Telegraph Department, who has served the Government thirteen years, though technically he can only claim eleven years' service. He is a first-class operator, who uses both head and hands when at bis instrument, and his official record is probably equal to that of any man of like standing in the service. A steady, married man ; his present salary amounts to .£l2O a year. Other officers, bis juniors in the service, no better, perhaps not so capable as he, have been promoted to higher paid posts over his head. If such men as this are to suffer reduction of salary, the result will soon be apparent. Only the incapables and ne'er-do-weels among the New Zealand boys will be selected by their parents as fit for the Telegraph Department. It may be as well to add that the officer in question has never brought his case under our notice, either by himself or hisfriends, and willno doubt be surprised to find himself instanced. On the above instance being mentioned in conversation, one father of several sons remarked — " I think I shall advise all my boys to keep clear of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department." This sentiment is pretty general. The best and wisest form of retrenchment is amalgamation of offices. If every clerk has to work hard and all drones are ! either kept out or drafted out of the civil service, good pay can be given, and will attract good men ; and the colony will get good value for its money. It is astonishing how widespread is the feeling among all classes of workers that low pay only deserves light labor in return. There are jaany who think with, though few express the thought of, ono shrewd workman in this district. He was asked what wages he wanted as a ploughman. He replied —"I can work for 20s a week ; but lam a lot smarter man at 25s, and if you give me 30s you'll see you never in your life had a better man on your farm !"