HOW THE MONEY GOES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9106, 14 July 1888, Page 6

HOW THE MONEY GOES.

BONUSES TO CIVIL SERVANTS.

SOME CURIOUS FACTS.

AN INSTRUCTIVE RETURN. [by telegraph.—special correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. A very instructive return has just been furnished to the order of Mr. Monk. It gives all the bonuses paid to Civil servants and others from the 31st March, 18S4, to the 31st September, 1887, and practically covers the regime of the late Ministry. They are given in three columns—first, those for exceptional services • second, in lieu of payment for overtime; third, in lieu of increased salaries. The impression given after perusing the return is that the rewards for exceptional services are largely contingent on the recipients having the ear of a Minister, the favour of a departmental head, or being exceptionally related through their sisters, their cousins, and their aunts, to some influential member of the Legislature. In that short period of time the Civil Service had performed exceptional services to the State, necessitating grateful bonuses to the extent of some £3,600. . Payment in lieu of overtime (for the Government by a pleasant fiction does not pay overtime) amounts to over £2500, while the bonuses given in lieu of an increased salary (for an economical Government does not raise the ■ salaries) come to £4000. By a legal fiction this is not an increase of salary. By a singular coincidence two people appear to have received exceptional treatment, but this is not to be wondered at, considering that they are exceptionally related. The two carry off £175 between them, as against £100 divided among the balance of the officers in the whole Department. In the Treasury Departments the officers appear to have made little out of their exceptional proximity to the public till; £134 is all thafc is paid for exceptional services, with no. overtime, and a miserable £90 eiven to them in lieu of increase of salary. Their shortcomings in the way of adhesiveness are amply made up by the propertytax department. The commissioner pulls off £100, and bis deputy a modest £75 for exceptional services. They do not pay overtime in this department either, so in lieu a bonus of £1376 is paid to the officials, and the paltry sum of £100 in lieu of increase of salary. The bonuses in lieu of overtime ran in five cases to considerably over £100 per man. In the Department of Justice exceptional services are rewarded by £259; there is no overtime, and £195 is given in lieu of increase of salary in Bums ranging from £20 downwards. The Postal and Telegraph Department is the most curious of all. Out of 50 officers rewarded with a total of £1108, five officers Bcoop the pool with £800 between them. Their overtime is only £165, but to square matters the bonuses in lieu of increase of salary amount to the respectable eum of £1722. In the Commissioner of Customs Department one official gets £100 out of £125 awarded. There is no overtime, but £205 is given in lieu of increase of salaries. In the Stamp Department history repeats itself. One official gets £100, the other £25 are given to two subordinates. The Stamp Department, like the Property Tax Department, is great on bonuses in lieu of overtime, as is seen by the sum of £299 under that head. £50 is given among five officers in. lieu of .increase of salary. The Education Department) comes out badly. It does not appear that any official performed exceptional services, there is no overtime, and £40 represents the bonus in lieu of increase of salary to two officers. In' the Native. Department (an exceptional one to starb with) no less than nine officers have rendered exceptional services, ranging from £200 downward, totalling £390 in aIL They charge no overtime, but £40 is awarded in lieu of increase of salary, and on the principle that to him that hath shall be given more abundantly, £20 of that is bestowed on an officer who already received £35 for exceptional services. The Minee Department is credited with only £65 for exceptional services ; there is no overtime, but £35 is given in lieu of increase of salary. The Working Railways Department also figures badly. There is only £130 for exceptional services, £35 in lieu of overtime, and £30 in lieu of increase of salary. The Defence Department, not having distinguished itself, claims nothing for exceptional services or overtime, but bonuses in lieu of increase in salary represent £185. The Lands Department shows £238 for exceptional services, no overtime, but £233 in lieu of increase of salaries. The Public Works Department makes a good second to the Postal and Telegraph Departments. £555 is for exceptional services, of which a single officer takes the largest share, and £400 for bonuses iS lieu of overtime. In the Insurance Department there was no exceptional service rendered, but £73 was given in lieu of overtime, and £25 in lieu of increase of salary. In the Public Trustees' offices £86 was given for exceptional services, and £121 in lieu of overtime. The results are thus summarised in round numbers: Colonial Secretary's Department, £667; Colonial Treasurer's, £1875 ; Justice, £452; Post and Telegraph, £2997; Customs, £330; Stamps, £473; Education, £40; Native Affaire, £430; Mines, £100; Working Railways Department, £190; Defence, £185; Lands, £471; Public Works, £1064; Insurance, £98; Public Trusteed Office, £121: grand total, £9497. This little bill for bonuses to the tune of close on £10,000 for only three years and a-half, has considerably exercised the members of the Retrenchment party. At the time the return was laid on the table of the House no motion was made that ifc be printed, but on Mr. R. Thompson (Marsden) perusing it, he deemed it desirable that the Financial Reform Association, and the taxpayers of the country generally should know how the money goes, and he intends to move that it be printed. Mr. Goldie has also been diligently occupied in the perusal of the return. He apparently has stopped at the £400, as to-day he tabled a question asking the Minister of Public Works by whose authority, and for what exceptional services, the sum of £400 was paid to Mr. C. Y. O'Connor, and whether such services were rendered during the time he was a salaried officer of the Government; if so, what was the amount of such annual salary at the time such payment was made.