FURTHER CUT PROPOSED

Opunake Times, 12 June 1931, Page 2

FURTHER CUT PROPOSED

STAFF OF EGMONT COUNTY. MATTER DEFERRED, Subsequent to a notice of motion given at a recent meeting. Cr. J. S. Tosland at Tuesday's Egmont County Council meeting, held at Opunake, moved that the salaries of the county staff be reduced by a further 2J per cynt. After ventilation of the question. it was decided that the matter be’ deferred until a later date.

In moving the reduction, Mr. Tosland said that a local body had the opportunity of adjusting expenditure to balance revenue, and in his opinion all could .stand a reduction of 2£ per cent. 'The council should live within its means. Cr. Tosland referred to other men not employed on local body work. They were not given an opportunity to stay on at a reduced rate, he said, but were pushed out and had to take two days’ work a week. In cases where men were compelled to do extra work, such as in the case of engine-drivers, concluded Cr. Tosland he would like to see them receiving the compensation they deserved. In seconding the motion, Cr. G. Gibson referred to a scale of wages which is used by the Public Works Department. He considered that the county counci] should adopt this scale. Cr. Green said that bv adopting such a course he did not think that much would be gained. When the previous reduction had been made he had favoured a straight out 10 per cent. cut. Other councillors had favoured a sliding scale reduction, however, and this had been adopted. A further 2J- per cent cut would result in an unfair position arising. Cr. E. A. Collins said that he could not support a flat cut. Ho was confident that the sliding scale reduction. which had been adopted, was the correct thing. On the suggestion of other councillors, Cr. Tosland expressed his willingness to withdraw his motion, whereupon Cr. Collins moved that the matter be deferred until a later date.