HIGH SALARIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16641, 25 January 1922, Page 11

HIGH SALARIES.

A RETRENCHMENT POINT, A RETRBNCHirEN'V POINT. (Special to the ‘ St WF3LLINGTON, January £4. Baaing liia question on a. comparison made by a southern newspaper between tho number of high salaries paid hi 101-1- and the increases on these amounts shown in 1921, tho Hon J. A. Han an asked tho Prime Minister to-day if, liotrvdthstamJing tho contemplated redaction of those salaries, ho oouid d&fend them tinder such stringent financial conditions. Some examples quoted sliowed that £loo*l salary in 1914 had grown in 1919 to £1250, while £oTo had gone to £ BSO, and. £OOO to £IOOO lu this period. Mi’ Massey replied that it would bo unfair to suggest that these increases were made suddenly. They wore scale increases, made gradually, and some by statute passed when bis questioner was a member of the National Governmeent. What had hax>poi>ed W3L9 that in the cafiea quoted the officers had worked up to tho maximum- They retired, and were replaced by officers at the minimum. £lr Han an: Can these salaries bo justified in these times? Mr Mas&ey ; There is legislation to reduce them, and I hope Parliament will agree to it. If members think the reductions not. sufficient, I am quite willing to go further, but at the same time I raußt ask members to treat their own salaries as they would other peopled. Mr H&nan: We are quite willing.