WAGES IN THE SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 13747, 28 June 1924, Page 12

WAGES IN THE SERVICE.

. LABOUR AMENDMENT. - : THE LOWER-PAID MEN. MR. WILFORD'S ATTITUDE[by telegraph.— reporter. 1 '' '' .-,, ' WELLINGTON. Friday." \ Conditions in the public service and especially wages were debated at length in the House of Representatives to-day on an amendment for which the Imprest Supply Bill made the opening. The amendment was brought forward by the leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland. " Many' members were anxious to take a hand in the game after the wellworn ball had been set rolling by the Labour members, but others over-familiar with thess tactics numbered themselves among the absentees. The mathematics of Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton), were especially efficient in emptying the House. Mr. Holland opened by claiming for workers in the public service such remuneration as would enable themselves, their wives and families to live in comfort. After a warning from the Speaker that he must riot pursue the question of the hours of railwaymen, Mr. Holland moved an amendment that the House should increase the salaries of public servants whose case was not at present sub-judice and who were in receipt of less than £500 per annum to the 1914 standard, and that the working hours of all such public servants should not exceed 44 hours per week. Air. D. G. Sullivan (Avon), supported the amendment because he believed that the State ' should,' be the first to set a good example by seeing that the wages of, it,3 employees allowed a fair standard of living. Mr. T .M. Wilford said the Liberal Party had had to face a good deal of misrepresentation on this question of wages in the public service. He explained the party attituda at some length. He announced that, he would support Mr. Holland's amendment if he reduced the figure from £500 to £320. '. Taunted with Inconsistency* Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton), tauntod Mr. Wilford with inconsistency in his attilude to the amendment. He had taken the hurdle last session but baulked at it on this occasion. . ' . Mr. Wilford: Then why complain ? Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central), appealed to the Liberal members to vote for the amendment if they approved its general principle. Let there be a clear division of the House, one side measured against the other. Messrs. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) and G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) followed. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister for Labour, twitted the Opposition parties with quarrelling among themselves. Both were trying to make political capital out of the troubles of the workers. He declared that the Government's policy in dealing with the public servants had been in the interests of the whole community, the workera included. The £320 proposal would increase the cost of Government by £2,000.000, though the Government's opponents had been accusing it all through the recess of extravagance and wasted :•'■■■■' ; :; ' : ' : ; : /

The Minister's speech carried the debate past the dinner adjournment. ,\ ■ " War Between Oppositions." The debate was continued until the supper adjournment, by three Liberal and three Labour members, with . the assistance of one Government member, After supper the Hon. W. Downie Stewart rose and characterised a very long debate as a war between the two oppositions, each accusing the other and indulging in considerable vituperation and - each equally culpable. They- were culpable in that both were trying to constitute the civil service a - privileged ; class. The ■ war had cost a great deal 'and taxation rose so high that the country began to pay it out of capital. The Government had sought by retrenchment and .economy to meH ordinary expenses out of revenue. Mr. Stewart proceeded to review the history of bonuses and "cuts" in the public service wages, stating that the corf, of living had not yet risen far enough to warrant an increase in civil servants' wages. The Opposition parties wanted to put a ring fence round the civil service which was not to be asked to share the burdens the war had placed on th». rest of the community. To restore the "cut" would cost one and a-quarter to one and a-half millions, just when thf country was struggling back to a normal condition. It was disastrous to observe that Opposition members were prepared to throw to the winds all the 1 advantages gained in order to \ placate the members of a highly-organised class. The Prime Minister spoke in defence of the Government, and after Mr. Langstone (Waimarino) had addressed the House the Speaker put Mr. Holland's amendment, which he declared lost on the voices. "■; '- " . . . Mr. Holland called for a division, which was lost by 55 votes to 17.

Liberal ■ Party's Amendment. With this disposed of at 11.30 p.m. Mr. A. L. Monteith (Welliisgton East) rose to carry on the debate. The bill proceeded a stage or two further when Mr. Sidey moved a further amendment substantially similar to the one rejected except that it referred to a limit of £320. The new amendment also made no reference to the 44 hours week. Mr. Holland said the Labour Party would support Mr. Sidey's amendment. The amendment was lost by 37 votes, to 34. ' r"~ - PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. / SETTLEMENT OF STRIKE. CABINET'S RESPONSIBILITY. ; [BV TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.'] ' ■■-. WELLINGTON, Friday.' " At a late hour this _ evening the Prime Minister rose, as he said, to reply to several points that had been raised during the debate, which had become so lengthy. He declared that the Government had refused to call Parliament together to settle the railway strike because it was responsible for conducting the country's affairs in the recess,! and even if Parliament had been in session the responsibility for the settlement would still have rested upon it. He believed that it had settled the strike much more satisfactorily than Parliament would have done. .".? Mr. Howard: Tt is not settled yet. Mr. Massey: The hon. member may say that if he likes. lam not going to let public servants or any section of men govern this country. That is the dutv of the people's representatives. Mr. Fraser: Even if they are a minority Government Mr. Massey: They are nothing of the sort. It is no use throwing that old nonsense at us after what has happened to the hon. member's - - friends, in Great Britain under Ramsay Mac Donald. _ . A Labour Member: 'They are doing well. ■■'-.■,■'■.' Mr. Massey grew caustic when he referred to the battle between the Opposition parties. "It was hardly ; amusing to me," he said. "It was , humiliating to see two sets of members who are here to do the business of the "country competing for the votes of the public servants." A Labour Member: We will get them, too/ - r ' : :[[.; r -- - /• / Another Member: You are the biggest obstructionist here. ': Mr. Massey: I know how this will end. It will not be in the way that the two parties wish.. It will mean that the fixing of all -public service salaries -will be handed over to the Arbitration Court. Continuing, the Prime Minister went on to say that the amendment, if it,, were carried, would enormously increase public expenditure. The "cut" in public service bonuses had enabled taxation to be reduced and ; had helped the country in its return to prosperity. If Labour had its way there would be no money in the country to provide employment.