THE WAR BONUS TO PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3251, 5 July 1916, Page 55

THE WAR BONUS TO PUBLIC SERVANTS.

A SERVICE VIEW. We have been rccpiestcd by members of tho Public Service Association to publish the following in answer to some of the criticisms which have been directed against the proposal to pay .war bonuses to public servants:— ''The two salient points of the criticisms are: (1) Why should a civil serwhose salary is £315 get a war bonue? (2) The Government contributes a large sum per annum to the public servants' superannuation scheme. So much has been eaid on the subject that one would imagine that every civil servant draws a salary .of over £3OO. Actually only about li per cent, of the officers affected draw between £3OO and £315. By far the greatest bulk receive under £2OO, so that a very small portion of the £400,000 will go to the ollicers in receipt of £3OO, but if the payment to them is going to jeopardise the low-salaried man, these few officers would forgo the benefit. " What has the superannuation scheme got to do with tho ' proposal? The statement that the Government subsidises this scheme annually by large grants is apt to create the belief that this is in itself a bonus. Tho civil servant contributes towards his own superannuation, and if the Government does contribute towards it, the fact must not be overlooked:, that before the Superannuation Act was passed, a large number of civil servants who were entitled to pensions relinquished the pensions- in favour of the' scheme. The difference between the sun: saved by tho Government on the pensions and the total sums contributed by the State- to the scheme was so little during the first six years of the scheme that it is not worth while discussing. Apart from tho question of the war bonus, it should bo mentioned that, as tho civil servant provides for his own superannuation, he does not becomo eligible for the'old age pension, which la paid out of tho revenues of the dominion to which the civil servant directly and indirectly contributes. " If tho increased cost of living >vore the only factor which urges tho war bonus, the criticism which compares the civil service with the community at largo might be justified. Reference to the Budget will disclose another factor, and a most important one. During the past two years the

Stato Department have had a very onerous task. All the departments have been very much depleted owing to officers answering the call. The civil service is very creditably represented at the front. The imderstaffing of the department has meant a considerable saving- to the Government during- the past two years, and this saving is more real than apparent. To the actual sum paved, the natural yearly increase of expenditure owing to the increase of the work of tho department plus the abnormal increase caused by tho war should be added. Tho performance of the work by understaffed offices has been greatly facilitated by tho willingness of tho remaining members of the staff. In many eases one man is doing the work that two do in normal times. This extra work has been done without remuneration. Two years ago, when the war broke out, members of the association resolved to do their utmost to help the Government, and expressed a willingness to do extra work in order to allow as many as possible of their fellow officers to enlist. Their solo reward for this was that tho/ knew they were in this way contributing towards the great cause common to all. No praise was mentioned publicly for their attitude- in this respect, n.or did tho civil servant look" for any, but Tfo now resents the reasons that are put forth against his receiving the bonus "