NARROWING GAP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27390, 16 May 1950, Page 4

NARROWING GAP

Wages And Salaries STATE SUBSIDY SCHEME CRITICISED PA WELLINGTON, May 15. The Government must arrest the drift toward a narrowing gap between the lowest paid workers and senior officers, the Prime Minister, Mr Holland, told the Civil Service Institute today. Unless this was done, Mr Holland said, it would encourage a cult of mediocrity, and the best men would leave New Zealand. • The reward for mediocrity was rapidly catching up with the reward for eminence. There was a tendency to lose the best men because they could get more money elsewhere. The Government must take care that the public service did not become denuded to the stage where its efficiency was seriously impaired. The Government’s great difficulty, Mr Holland added, was that if it put up the salaries of the best men it had to put up everyone else in the department. He said he was proud that there had been no widespread sweeping out of public servants who had loyally served the previous Government. It was very important for the Government to feel it had the loyal support of its servants. The subsidy system had to a large extent been an urge to inefficiency there was a feeling that the Government would make good any loss. “One thing I feel very strongly about.” Mr Holland declared. “There should be no fear of the Government. No person should open his newspaper wondering what the Government has done today.”