45 PER CENT SALARY CUT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 6

45 PER CENT SALARY CUT

GOVERNOR MAKES OFFER

ADEQUACY OF SACRIFICE THE AIM

HELP IN BALANCING THE BUDGET

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last NightThe Governor-General has notified the Prime Minister of his desire to have the emoluments of his office reduced, in eluding earlier reductions, by an aggregate amount of 30 per cent., or, expressed alternatively, 45 per cent, o his salary until such time as the national Budget may be balanced. Their Excellencies are also agreeable to one of the official residences being closed, if thought desirable on the grounds or economy. The following letter honi His Excellency has been received by the Prime Minister: — “Although I fully realise that actual equality of sacrifice is difficult, if not impossible, of attainment in this or any other country by Governmental action, and that an attempt to. attain it is apt sometimes to defeat its own ends, I hold strongly the view that we. ought all, whatever be our position in the State, to aim at adequacy of sacrifice if this Dominion is to be restored without undue delay to a position of financial equilibrium. This being, so I should be indeed sorry if in the position Majesty’s representative in New Zealand I failed to bear my full, share, in shouldering the burden which is falling now so heavily upon the whole population, and particularly upon the poorest section of it. Realising that undei the Imperial statute which constituted the office which I hold it is not open tc the Legislature of the Dominion to reduce its fixed emoluments without the sanction of His Majesty the King, I have, as you are aware, on my own initiative expressed a desire on. two previous occasions, the first during your absence at the imperial Conference in 1930 and subsequently on October 5, 1931, to relinquish to the State 10 per cent, of the total emoluments of my office, aggregating as from November 1 last 20 per cent., or one-fifth of such emoluments, in the earnest hope that such. abatements would ease appreciably the cost to the Treasury of the Gov-ernor-General’s establishment and at the same time compensate for the constitutional privilege of exemption from public burdens attached to my office. COMMENT WELCOMED.

“Specific reference to this exemption in Bills before Parliament would not appear to be strictly necessary, but such reference not unnaturally evokes critical comment. Such, comment J frankly welcome so long as the actual position is realised by all members, of the Legislature. I had intended in view of the grave outlook disclosed by the Finance Minister’s recent Financial Statement to make some further proposal to you regarding the emoluments of my office at. the time of the duction of the forthcoming Finance Bill, but under the circumstances I think it best to express to you now the wishes of Her Excellency and myself on the matter. “It is our desire that for so long at least as it is found impossible to balance the Budget of this Dominion there be deducted an aggregate sum representing 30 per cent, of the entire statutory emoluments of my office, or (expressed alternatively) 45 per cent, of the salary attaching thereto, such deduction to operate as from the beginning of the current financial year. This abatement, which is rendered possible by drawing upon our private resources in England, can at the option of the Government- either be specifically provided for by special statutory enactment submitted to His Majesty the King for approval or, following the precedent which 1 created in April of last year, be effected by discontinuance of the payment to my credit out of the Treasury of the amount represented thereby. In any case, as I have intimated on previous occasions, no deduction in the Governor-General’s emoluments now arranged for must be deemed applicable to my successors in the office.

“It is hardly necessary for ma to remind you that extensive economies have already been effected in respect of those Government House establishment charges which normally fall on the public purse, and we shall gladly adopt any others which after full investigation tho National Expenditure Commission may suggest in pursuance of my request to this effect made three months ago. If, as I then intimated, it is deemed desirable during tho present emergency to close at least one of our official residences wo shall in no way demur to the proposal. ‘‘Let me add in conclusion that the Government and the country may confidently count upon our cheerful compliance with any practical suggestions which the Government may make with a vieftr to making our measure of sacrifice during this period of adversity comparable to Shat of the rest of the community. “P.S. —Except for the addition of £5OO to the Governor-General’s allowances made during the war, the emoluments of the office have remained the same for the last 32 years.”