MR SCRIMGEOUR’S SALARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 26 April 1937, Page 8

MR SCRIMGEOUR’S SALARY

SOME COMPARISONS “Tlie Chamber of Commerce has quite properly drawn attention to the bad precedent set by the Government in appointing Mr C’. G. Scrimgcour as director of commercial broadcasting without publicly calling for applications (states the “New Zealand Herald”), “Mr Scrimgeonr has succeeded to an important post without comparative test of his qualifications as against other candidates. This method opens wide the door to favouritism in the Cicil Service, and perhaps to political favouritism. Just as questionable by comparative standards is the salary of £ISOO awarded to Mr Scriingeour. He is paid more than the heads of most great State departments, who discharge far heavier responsibilities Take the case of the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs as an instance. Mr McNamara is paid £I4OO a year, £IOO less than Mr Scrimgeour, but is required to administer a vast and intricate department with a payroll of about 11,500. He is responsible for annual receipts and payments amounting to about £7,000,000 a year, apart from savings bank business with an annual turnover y>f £45,000,000 and deposits totalling £53,000,000. The General Manager of Railways, Mr Mackley, receives the same salary as Mr Scrimgcour, although he runs a department employing 20,000 pairs of hands and a capital of £54.253,000. Such expert and responsible officers as the Engineer-in-Chief of Public Works, the Public Trustee, the Directors-General of Health and Agriculture, the Directors of Education and 'Transport and the Secretary of Labour receive less for their services than Mr Scrimgeour. All tilings considered, he s a very fortunate man. But not so fortunate is the manner of his appointment and the salary ataohing to it. These are bound to invite reflections and comparisons throughout the Civil -Service and outside it.”