“GRIN AND BEAR IT.”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18834, 24 March 1931, Page 2

“GRIN AND BEAR IT.”

THE WAGES CUT. (The Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand. l Those who hoped that the parliamentary debate on the Prime Minister's economy proposals might produce indications that the measures m view would be at least fully adequate for their purpose, must have felt disappointed at Mr Forbes's new statement of the position. He found it necessary to tell the House that the prospective deficit was even greater than he had first indicated—-that instead of £750,000 for the current year, it would probabiy be £1,250,000; and that the country had never faced a worse position of financial difficulty. This state of affairs of course, merely emphasises the urgency of remedial measures. It increases enormously the responsibility of those who undertake merely destructive criticism of the Government's remedies; and makes still more imperative the plea for co-operai.on. The average employer or business man can scarcely escape his share of the burden: it wi be imposed upon him by the inexorable conditions around him, and neither argument nor action on his part can affect it. The employee, on the other hand, feels that he can perhaps postpone or reduce his contribution by some form of joint action, though the national view is, of course, that the sooner the cure is attempted the easiei

it will be. „ , 1 Sooner or later, practically all classes will have to accept some personal 1 share in the work of restoring econo- J mic strength to the country; and even ’ the powerful protection of awards will, j .as we can now see, be unable to pro- i duce an unfair distribution of sacri- i flee. In tfre meantime the servants of the State itself are facing an early and j general “cut.” It is only natural to ; expect many associations of Government employees to protest against this reduction. It has been criticised as placing a disproportionately large share of the burden upon the civil service; but in view of the new situation revealed by Mr Forbes, this criticism must be reviewed. Moreover, though the contribution of the Civil Service towards expunging the deficit may seem disproportionately large, other employees will have to bear a wagCo loss of somewhat similar weight, to help rectify tne general national balance sheet of which the State budget is out a part. While it is natural for many associations of Government employees to protest against the proposed reduction of their wages and salaries, it must be realised that they enjoy a degree of protection that is not shared by their fellow-citizens who hold similar positions in private employ. The Associated Chambers of Commerce do not subscribe to the belief, often expressed, that public servants are under-worked and over-paid. Business men who come into daiiy contact with Government officials know that this is not the case. Yet the Chambers do think that in a sense the public service is overmanned; they think that the Government renders far too many unjustified social services, and that there is an unnecessary multiplicity of departments. Even If it is considered that these services should be continued, there seems no reason why certain readjustments anci oma;carnations should not take place. I.i the crisis which is now being experienced, private business generally has had to be overhauled and to have its human assets assessed. Extravagant methods which have been accepted in prosperous t,imes have had to give way to economical methods. Curtailments and readjustments have had to be made, and retrenchment both in numbers and payment of personnel has i been general. All these the Civil Service has so far escaped, but it cannot nope to continue to do so. The thinking members of the service have long . recognised that retrenchment was in- ► evitable. Although there will be a certain time-lag, the prices of com- > modifies will inevitably fall in sym- ■ pathy with the decline in the wage l rate, so that spending power will eveni tually be little affected, if at all. In i the meantime, there is only one reason--1 able and healthy attitude —to face the 7 position cheerfully and make the best of it. It might have been much worse. ? More than that, if we do not all do 1 our best, it will be.