CIVIL SERVANTS

Southland Times, Issue 20664, 20 April 1929, Page 8

CIVIL SERVANTS

RESTORATION OF SALARIES.

(Special to the Times.) Wellington, April 19

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Civil Service Association, Mr A. A. Burgess, president of the New Zealand Association, said he considered, the restoration of salary cuts to individuals a literal impossibility. That was quite different from the restoration of the maximum in various grades to the 1921 standard. Most of the officers had gone from one class to another and were now probably very much better off than they would have been had they remained in the same position which they’ held in 1921. He was sure that while the present Government was in power they would get sympathy' with their demands. It was a very much larger question than the question which concerned their branch of public servants. When they had interviewed Sir Joseph Ward he had stated that he intended to get representations from various branches of the service, then he would see what considerations could be given effect to. He had told them he had been informed that what they desired would cost about £2,750,000. The association's estimate for the whole of the services of the community was less than £1,250,000. In the speaker’s opinion they' stood a very good chance of getting the restoration of the maxima of the various classes to the 1921 standard.