MUNICIPAL ECONOMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20870, 12 May 1931, Page 6

MUNICIPAL ECONOMY.

BIG CUTS IN SYDNEY. LORD MAYOR'S PROPOSALS. Tt now appears to ho certain that a big swathe will he cut in the ranks of Sydney Town Hall officers by the rel trenchmpnt scythe wielded by the Lord I Mayor, Alderman Jackson. The retirej input of leading officers would reduco the monthly expenditure in an important j way, says the Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne Argus, but the retiring allowances would be heavy. | The course usually' followed is to grant two weeks' pay for every year in the City Council's service, and the pay is r reckoned at the rate which is being ii drawn when retirement takes place. The ■ former town clerk, Mr. Thomas Nesbitt, i, received about £7OOO after 21 years' ser- > vice. Mr. Lay ton, the present town j clerk, if he now/steps down, should re- : reive much more, for he has been at the town hall 40 years. Ho will be missed i if he {Withdraws himself from the familiar ' t/iri oundings. Few Sydney rnen are better known throughout Australia than ; tlie town clerk of Sydney, who meets 3 pvery important personage visiting that city. ' One of the reductions of salary talked j of by the. Lord Mayor is that of Mr. Forbes Mackay, head of the electricity j department, from £-3000 to £2250. The j Civic Refoim Party in the City Council made a prolonged effort to raise this if salary from £2OOO to £3OOO against the i opinion of the majority of the ratepayers, | and the speedy reversal of policy is re!l garded as specially significant.