PUBLIC SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 13

PUBLIC SALARIES.

PAY; IN THE POST OFFICE*

MUNICIPAL AND GOVERNMENT*

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON*

The salaries in the Post and Telegraph' Department form the subject of a.report prepared by the Auckland Telegraph Economic Committee, an organisation composed of civil servants, which makes > the claim that Auckland municipalities , remunerate administrative ability higher J than does the State. "The salaries paid to executive officers of this department compare unfavourably with those paid to similarly classed officers on the salary list of the Auckland City Council," states tha • report. In support of the contention the committee has compiled the following list. , of officers and their salaries, officials of the Post and Telegraph Department being ; indicated by asterisks Town clerk, Auckland, £1500; city engineer, £1500; ■ manager of the Auckland Transport' Board, £ISOU; secretary, Post and Telegraph Department,* £1300;. chief telegraph engineer,* £1250; first assistant secretary,* £1050; Auckland city treasurer, £IOOO. .■

Tramway and city electrical engineer,,' £950; second assistant secretary,* £950;; Auckland assistant city engineer, £9oojj assistant town clerk, £800; city valuer/ £800; chief postmaster, Auckland,* £790; district telegraph engineer, Auckland,* £790; chief accountant, Transport Board, £750; telegraph engineer, Auckland,* £665; law and committee clerk, Auckland! City Council, £650; traffic superintendent, tramways, £650; chief city sanitary in-; spector, £650; waterworks superintendent, £650; chief clerk and tramway £650; manager of abattoir, £650; chl4 traffic inspector, Auckland City Council, • £650; chief librarian, £650; telegraph engineer, Auckland,* £615; assistant chief postmaster, Auckland,* £615; parks superintendent, Auckland City Council,; £600; city organist, £600; engineer's assistant Auckland City Council, £6OO, plug £SO bonus.

Fay in Eesponsible Positions. Accountant, Chief Post Office, Auckland/ £565 j assistant-telegraph engineer, Auckland,* £565; senior supervisor, telon graph branch, Auckland*, £565; garage superintendent, Auckland City £550; chief building inspector, Auckland City Council, £550; bandmaster, Auckland City Council, £520; superintendent of mails, Auckland,* £515; supervisor* Money Order and Savings Bank, Auck-i land*, £515; checking officer, Auckland City Council, £500; rolling stock super*, intendent, Auckland City Council, £500; overhead superintendent, Auckland Cityj Council, £500; superintendent of claims, Auckland City Council, £500; chief) draughtsman. General Post Office, Well* ington,* £470.

The Secretary of the Post and Tclei graph Department, controlling a staff of| 11,727 officers, will be seen, adds the ret port, to possess a salary value of £2oo| below that paid to the town clerk, that' manager of the Transport Board, and thaj city engineer. The chief postmaster,, Auckland, who directly controls a chfoC post office staff of 713 officers, and a dis* trict staff of 908, together with 78 per* manent business offices and 381 non+ permanent business offices, or a total ol 459 post and' telegraph offices, and who. is responsible for approximately 350 mail contracts, ranks in salary value £9 10a below that paid to the city valuer and assistant-town clerk. Moreover, the district telegraph engineer,, with a staff! of 801 officers, who controls millions of pounds of valuable electrical plant and administers a district that reaches from' the North Cape to Gisborne, commands a salary value of an executive officer on' the City Council's staff. >' '1 Extent of Postal Service. The following executive officers on th<( chief postmaster's staff, carrying responsibilities, states the report, that put many), of the chief administrative officials on the Auckland City Council staff in tha relative shade as regards importance and the number of transactions handled, aU'' rank lower in salary value than the CjitjJ'. Council's rolling stock overhead superintendent, and superVw tendent of claims, who draw £soo* pflfc annum by way of salary:— engineer's office, £470; chief £470; supervisor, parcels branch, £470 j \ supervisor, registration branch, £425; super* I visor, mails branch, £425; supervisor / telegraph delivery branch, £425; supejy visor, telegraph traffic branch, £425g supervisor, clerical branch, £425; senipri draughtsman, engineer's office, £4l&j supervisor of postmen, Chief Post Offim* \* , £425. The Post and Telegraph Department* comments the report, holds securities, valued at £49,000,000 and conducts a sew vice recognised as the most • efficient in" Now Zealand, if not in ihe world, carry* ing a transaction value of £219,425,000 foij last year. Of necessity, the City Conrw cil's position must be far less 'mposingj "Yet leadership in business is synony* mous with affluence in all circles except! the Civil Service," says the report.