PUBLIC ECONOMIES
TO THE EDITOR
Slß,— One wonders whether the Government and the local governing authorities are sincere in their professions of economy and retrenchment. If they were, there is ample scope without taking more' and more drastic cuts out of the workers and by making what was once in some cases scheduled work relief work. Some time ago you allotted me space to show that on our public local governing bodies highsalaried officials are employed who draw superannuation from either or both the Government or some local body and who will again, on their retirement from the positions they now hold, draw further superannuation from the local governing authority that employs them. Surely when some workers are asked to carry out their former employment on relief work wages that represent the nominal amount paid for similar work in pre-war days it is also up to the Government and the local governing authorities to place the high-salaried officials on a similar nominal pre-war salary if there is to be equality of sacrifice with the low-paid worker. Yet we find these bureaucratic officers of local bodies and the Government have such control over the governing authorities that the huge increases in salary granted them from time to time during the period of inflation not only obtain, but, in addition, notably in the Government service, they retire on superannuation, drawing two-thirds the average salary paid them during their last three years of office, which is out of all proportion to the amount paid in. If the governing authorities were sincere the Government would enact legislation to decree that there should be an amalgamation of all Government and local body superannuation schemes to provide, first, that superannuation be paid on the average amount received by all officials as wages during the whole period of their service; secondly, to prevent persons drawing more than one superannuation allowance at the same time, or drawing any superannuation while at the same time drawing a high salary; and, thirdly, to prevent the anomaly of superannuation paid out on many high salaried positions being often two and three times as much as the occupant of a position receives in wages, this being due to as many as four or more persons drawing superannuation on the same position at the same date. Another economy that could be practised with advantage to the ratepayer deals with the practice of members and officers of local governing bodies going from time to time to Wellington at public expense. When legislation affecting pur highways was introduced many of the local bodies had to foot the hill of town clerks, other officials, and councillors going to Wellington either on deputation or to give evidence before the Local Bills Committee. Whenever legislation was introduced affecting such a case in point, say, as the electric light of Dunedin and dealing with the Waipori dam, it was noticeable how the town clerk, engineers, and chairmen of committees visited Wellington at Government expense. It mattered not whether legislation or Orders-in-Council dealt with such departments as tramways, gasworks, waterworks, drainage, and | sewerage reserves, or with financial Bills [ dealing with these matters, each and every time was an occasion for a visit to Wei--1 lington at public expense. A feeling is growing that all these visits could- he avoided by the simple expedient of making the local bodies submit their views to the Government in writing or commissioning the local magistrate to take evidence right here in Dunedin for the Local Bills Committee or any other parliamentary committee. If a Royal Commission consisting of qualified accountants had power to examine, say, the books of the Dunedin City Council and its various departments and compile a statement of visits to Wellington and the expense to the ratepayers during the last ton years, I rather fancy
the public would not only be staggered.at the expense, but also at the time for which officials are absent and the tact that when they are away the work -} n Dunedin is carried on just as efficiently by lower-salaried officials ■ carries with it an inference that high officials are not indispensable and that the salary paid - is out of all proportion to the work perfortned.'lf, you give me space I propose to show in future letters other economies that ■ couldhe practised without the need to dispense with the services, of, the lowest Paid workers, as has been done. Space' forbids dealing in this letter with the various local bodies’ conferences, engineers’ conferences, leaves of" absence granted to higher officials on full pay, absence from office without leave, and many otlher matters dealing with our many local bodies that carry with it an inference of economies that could be effected without hitting all the time at the low-paid worker. —I am, etc., Overland.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 21694, 12 July 1932, Page 10
Word Count
796PUBLIC ECONOMIES Otago Daily Times, Issue 21694, 12 July 1932, Page 10
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