POLITICAL NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17934, 30 July 1920, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Telegraph.—Special to Chronicle.) WELLINGTON, July 287 “If the Imperial butter contract is renewed, will the Prime Minister take steps to enable the people who hav relatives at Home to send them small parcels of butter through the parcel post, so as to ease the cost of living?” asked Mr Fraser in the House. He added that the quantity sent would be very small. The, Prime Minister said he did not know as yet what the position would be. He did not know what those who managed the business for the butter producers intended to do, but he would make a statement as early as possible. Answering criticism as to the smallness of loans to municipalities for housing, the Prime Minister asked where would the Government have been as regards the smaller towns if it had granted the application of Christchurch and other towns for hundreds of thousands? He was pleased to say there was more bush work, more timber-cutting, and more building in progress at the present time than at any period in the history of the Dominion. He thought it would not very long before the position was greatly imjroved. r eitch Introduced the Wanganui Borough Bill, which was read a first time and referred to the Local Bills Committee. • RAILWAY MATTERS. WELLINGTON, July 29. Speaking on the Imprest Supply Bill to provide for salary increases, Air Veitch fbgrettcd that the salaries and wages were not increased before many of the most experienced men had left the Railway Service. They must now attract, young men to employment, and in this connection ho considered it an anomaly that, railway juniors should receive £2O against £3O paid to cadets. It was necessary that they should pay great attention to skilled men, of whom the railway was short. In the past the railway had set itself to compete against sea traffic by carrying goods long distances at low charges. The policy should now bo changed to make charges for short distances in proportion, as it was now motor traffic competition that had to be met. He referred to the unsatisfactory railway facilities between Wanganui and Marton as illustrating this point. The Hon. Air Henries replied that the new agreements corrected some of the evils brought about by the bonus system in regard to the wages of skilled men. Long distance freights had been made low so as to help in opening up remote districts. DETAILS OF SALARY READJUSTMENTS. WELLINGTON, July 29. Mr Alassey to-day read the report of the committee of heads of Departments set up to frame uniform conditions of pay for the Railway, Postal and General Service, and Education employees, based upon the findings of the various railway committees. The committee recommends the adjustment of salaries in all branches of the Government service from Ist April last on the following basis: (a)<£2o per annum to junior members in receipt of a salary of £l4O and under, and £5O to other members of the first division o*f The railways and clerical division of the Public Service, Postal Department. and other departments not under the control of the Public Service Commissioner; (b) effect to be given to the recommendation of the respective Boards in the case of the A.S.R.S. and the E.F.C A. In respect to the Second Division of the Railways £2 0 to junior members of the general divisions *n all services. The total estimated cost of the recommendation is £1.833,485, but deducting the amount of the cost of living bonus on the present scale (£467,690) and adding the amount already authorised by way of scale increases for the current financial year (£285,890), the net additional cost is approximately £1,651,685. The committee recommends that the increases be made by way of additional salary, and that a short Act be passed with a provision for a rateable increase or reduction should the cost of living rise or fall. The committee states that, it is generally conceded that the increase in the cost of living since 1914 is in the vicinity of 62 per cent. Taking £165 as the minimum wage for a married man in 1914. the increase on that amount of £95 may reasonably be held to allow' for the depreciated value of the sovereign.