NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1933. BOROUGH SALARIES AND WAGES

Northern Advocate, 2 May 1933, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1933. BOROUGH SALARIES AND WAGES

Registered for transmission through the post as a a Newspaper.

The salaries and wages paid to members of 1 he Whangarei borough staff have formed a subject of much controversy during the municipal elections campaign. This mailer has not always been dealt witii fairly, there having been an obvious desire to distort, it for propaganda purposes. It has been inferred, where it, has not been openly alleged, that some members of the old council who are again seeking the votes of Ihe burgesses were too insistent upon securing reductions in the salaries and wages of tlu borough si off, and that, as a consequence, they should not be supported at the poll tomorrow. Tt has been stated frequently that some• candidates, particularly Mr Finch, urged the further cutting of wages which were already as low as £2 10s. and £2 per week. Such a statement should not have been made. Jt is true that two members of the borough staff were in receipt of only £2 10s. and £2 per week, but their positions ivere different from those of other members. One, who is not now employed, was on halftime, and the other, who suffers from a physical infirmity, is paid £2 10s per week in accordance with *an underrate award.

IfoN iv • employed at tho rubbish tip. This work would give only pari-lime omipation to au. ablV-bodicd run it, and, because of this, Ihe employment ol the man to whom reference has been made .should not be regard-j ed in the ordinary -way. Neither j of the men mentioned was at-1 footed by the last wages cut made | by the council. It is well that the ! burgi'sses should be aware of this fact. They should also be inter- i ested to know that, except for j certain apprentices. no borough employee on the outside stall' re-, ceives less than £4 4s. per week, the remuneration of others ranging up to £4 19s. per week. All who are working under an mvard are receiving slightly more than they are entitled to under the award concerned. Salaries and wages represent a large proportion of the borough’s expenditure, the total being £10,227 per annum, without overtime or allowances for dirt work. This total is made up as follows; —Inside staff, £2729; electricity department, £4479; roads and waterworks, £4019. It is self-evi-dent that borough administrators must keep close watch upon salaries and wages just as they must do in every other department of expenditure. The ratepayers demand that they should do so. because it is imperative, especially in times of financial difficulty, that the borough should be run as economically as is consistent, with efficiency. It is right and proper that- the actions of borough councillors should be observed with critical eyes by the burgesses, who. however, must remember that fairness is the basis of genuine criticism. We feel impelled to protest against the efforts which have been made, and are still being made, to injure Mr Finch’s candidature by representing him as an unfair advocate of wage-cutting. We imagine that the increasing, rather than the cutting, of salaries and wages would be more congenial to Mr Finch, who, however, realises, as everybody must realise, that the cost of local government is an overwhelming burden on many ratepayers, some of whom would be very happy if they were assured of a weekly wage of £4 4s. There are many business men in Whangarei, as in other parts of the country. who are hard pressed to make ends meet in order that, they may pay their employees. While we would prefer that the salaries and wages of the borough staff should be as high as possible, we think the employees will recognise the difficulties with which ratepayers as a body art* confronted.