"ONE OF THE FEW."

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1924, Page 5

"ONE OF THE FEW."

ENTITLED TO MORE PAY.

IN PUBLIC SERVICE

(Special to "Northern Advocate.") WELLINGTON, This Day.

The salaries of members of the Gov-

eminent service wore again under review in the House yesterday when the vote for the Department of Inland Revenue was reached on the Estimates.

The Leader of the Opposition paid a high tribute to the work of the Commissioner of Taxes, Mr D. G. Clark. This officer, he said, should be paid a higher salary than £1138, and to indicate that this course should be followefl he moved that the item on Estimates dealing with the Commissioner's salary should be reduced by £1.

"It is (i rather left-handed way of passing a compliment to charge a man a pound for it," remarked Mr G. W. Forbes in supporting the amendment, "but it is the onlv wav we have of

doing it." The Prime Minister was absent when the amendment was moved, but when he returned to the House lie intimated that he would accept it. Consequently no vote was taken. Mr Clark, he said, was one of the best officers' in the employ of the State at the present time and was one of the few who were undoubtedly entitled to an increase in salary. Mr H. E. Holland, Labour Leader, said there were members who could get up enthusiasm for officers whose salaries ran up over £1000 a year and it was a pity they could not become similarly enthusiastic for those other officers who were not getting sufficient to live on. He moved that the item £50,765, Land and Income Tax Department, be reduced by £1 as an indication that the salaries of those Public Servants employed in the Department who were receiving less than £450 should be restored to pre-war purchasing standard.

The Prime Minister said that if increased expenditure were going to be demanded it would not be long before the country was back in the position it found itself in at the time of the slump. Those who were demanding increased expenditure in all directions were gambling upon the price of produce remaining the same as to-day. He did not want another spell of cutting down wages and salaries. Once in a lifetime was good enough for him and he hoped that before another such occasion arose somebody else would be in charge of the finances of the country.

The amendment was defeated by 40 votes to 16.