SMALL SALARIES AND HIGH PRICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 156, 13 May 1864, Page 3

SMALL SALARIES AND HIGH PRICES.

'1 he ]irieesof ]>)'ovision. house rents, and as a iieneral rule, the cost >>1' livine. lias been inns! |!eree|iiil>lv increased during 1 lie last few molifhs. In liersons -.villi small fixed incomes this chanire

has atb'i'ded anyt!iiii!4 but jileasunilile feelings, while to the m;iss of the cornunuiitv. the tra-les-men. whose business is now, perhaps as brisk as il ever was, the mechanics and labourers who never commanded in Auckland a higher rate of "aires tl.an at jn-esent. the inconvenience has been lit I le I'clt if felt at all.

Amongst those who have been most-pinched h'y this vise in prices have been llie employees ol' I lie (.ienerai an.'! I'roviucial (!overnnieiil. and the clerks of lai'uc nicrcaafilt' linns and places of business. A short time since, llie (ienrval (iovenuui'iil aiiiuiunced that an addition of titceu per cent, woiiid be made to the salaries of all those in their employment rceeivini; Cloiipcr iiniium. and under. This ex.-inij le was soon followed by many of the leading lucrchanls and others, and it was ho) ed that (he Provincial (lo\ eminent ami Hanks would have follower, in the same steps. 'I'lie very responsible posts " hieh nianv of the eniployves in the hitler hold, ami ihe vcrv small salaries which ininiv of them receive, and the lari;e protils to the shareholders of llic-e ( "mpanics. would have led us to have e\| ected that the sin:i;cstion for an increased rale of pav would have been a I once accorded. YYe beiicv e ilia! such has no! been the case. In other provinces of New Zealand llie Provincial ( ■'oYcrnuienl s have at once acceded to the a 11ered circumstances of the times, tor hiilh prices have ruled ill the South of late as well as here, and we think that llie Provincial Government of Auckland will be doitiir no more than ils duly in lo'ilowini: the example set by the General (iovei ninciil. in makinir a similar increase to llie salaries of ils ollicials. We believe the proposal to do so has been under di-cti<sioii. and is yet undecided upon, and uc have also heard thai tbe ollicials themsches are about to respectfully memorialise the Superintendent on tiie matter. A\ e are .-lire, however, thai there is a cciieral fcciinir out ot doors thai these .-a larics. which are none 100 la rue al any time, and now are most disproportionate to llie remuneration which any labor can command— should. I.<• at once increased, and to such an extent, as to be rcallv a boon to the receivers. Sill-civ Auckland is'as well able to jay her public i llii-ials as purse-proud t anterliury. or overburdened Taranakl.