RETROSPECTIVE PAY?

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1935, Page 4

RETROSPECTIVE PAY?

HOPES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS. CONSIDERATION BY MINISTER. * - (By Telegraph—Special Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. There has been a suggestion in certain quarters that the 7%'per cent, restoration in salary cuts to civil servants will be made retrospective to August 1. As far as can be gathered there is nothing official to support the suggestion, although the Minister of Finance, Mr. J. G. Coates, is .still investigating the possibility of granting at least partially retrospective restoration. However, when the latest suggestion was brought before the Minister’s notice to-night he gave it a complete denial. He had promised to look into the matter, he said, and he was keeping his promise. No one recognised more than himself the sacrifices that civil servants had been called on to make during the depression years and if the financial considerations permitted he would be only too pleased to make more generous provision for them than was outlined in the Budget. However, no finality had been reached and he was unable to give any indication of the action which the Govemmight take. The 7M> per cent, restoration announced in the Budget was to have taken effect on October 1 but it cannot become operative until a finance Bill embodying Mr. Coates’ proposals is passed by Parliament. This Bill is expected to be brought down within the next few days and there is still a possibility that it may make provision for some retrospective payment. FULL RESTORATION WANTED. CIVIL SERVANTS’ ATTITUDE. ' Christchurch, Last Night. At a meeting of representatives of the combined Public Service organisations tonight the following resolution was carried unanimously:— “That this combined committee, representing at least 3000 public servants of Christchurch, reiterates -its previous decision to avail itself of every constitutional means in its power to press for the full restoration, retrospective from April 1, 1935, of the salary qjiJfc such as. have been granted in England and other countries.”