STATE CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23767, 21 September 1940, Page 10

STATE CONTROL

EVEN SALARIES - ELECTRICITY STAFFS QUESTION OF INCREASES [BY TELEGRAPH —riIESS ASSOCIATION] . . DUNEDIN, Friday An instance oi : the extent to which control in industry is texercised by the Government is shown in a communication to the Duncdin City Council from the electricity controller advising that any increases in salary to men receiving more than £4OO a year must be submitted to Kim for approval. The communication follows the council s decision. to give all its employees, whether governed by awards or not, the benefit of the general, order made by the Arbitration Court. Since the outbreak of the war the electricity controller has been given a fairly large measure of supervision in the electrical industry, and the powers vested in him include the right to govern Tvages paid in tha.t industry. Not only is the City Council affected, but all power boards and municipal councils in the Dominion:; in fact, all branches of the electrical industry como under his supervision. Moreover, the necessity for obtaining the permission of the controller to give increases in salary to men earning more than £4OO a year applies to all increments to which such employees may be entitled. The City Council has nat yet replied to the controller's request as the matter has not come before the Finance Committee. which may submit the whole question to the full council. The council has had a previous communication from the controller on the subject of electrical control, but this apparently was not taken very seriously".

The Mayor of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop,~ mentioned earlier this week that the Wellington City Council had received a similar communication to that referred to from Dunedin: Mr. Hislop added that he had a pretty good idea the council would :not do as requested.