WAITING FOR LEAD

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3241, 11 December 1930, Page 5

WAITING FOR LEAD

GOVERNMENT’S MOVE. SALARY REDUCTIONS. “The Government must curb national expenditure and make a start by reducing the salaries of Civil Sei’vants, particularly the highly-paid ones,” said Mr. F. B. Logan, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay County Council, at a council meeting on Monday. Referring to the council’s staff, Mr. Logan said: “I am not prepared to see a reduction in other officials’ salaries without a reduction of the wages of our outside staff as well. If we are going to reduce construction costs some of the men must go or all take lower wages so as not to aggravate the unemployment position.” Mr. Logan’s remarks were prompted by a letter from the Thames Valley Power Board asking support for a resolution: “That if salaries and wages are to he l-educed it should be general, and the Government should take the initiative.”

“It is up to the Government to give us a lead,” Mix Logan said. “They should give us an indication as to how to reduce expenditure. We ai’e expei’iencing a slump for all our products. In otlier slumps while wool has dropped meat and butter have generally stayed up, but now they are all down and production costs are exceedingly high. The position is worse in Hawke’s Bay because the farmers lost the autumn growth. Thei-e was a colossal loss of sheep, the lambing percentage was very low, and now we are faced with a drought. The position is worse in Hawke’s Bay than in most places, and we must make every effort to give farmers relief next year. I ask for the support of all members in calling a halt on all construction woi'k unless it is very urgent or unless the Government subsidy available is so large that it would be unwise to postpone the work.” The council resolved to give the requested support to the motion referred to.