STAFF RETRENCHMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 413, 3 November 1930, Page 6

STAFF RETRENCHMENT

CITY COUNCIL’S POSITION AN UNPLEASANT TASK BARE NECESSITIES ONLY Staff retrenchment is to be the sub ject of a report by the City Enginocl (Mr .1. 8. L. Deem) at to-morrow night’s meeting of the Council. At the present juncture the Civic Government, finds itself compelled to curtail expenditure to keep within the limits set when the rates were struck. The stringency of the times, which has resulted in a good deal of unemployment, caused the first seven months of the year, Aj|>ril to October, to strain tho expenditure more fully than was anticipated with the inevitable outcome that the council is now faced with the certainty of having to reduce staff. In order not to act with any undue hard-, ship several employees arc being ed three weeks leave without pay.

“No council wants to treat any man harshly,” said Cr. C. AV. Poynter, chairman of the, Works Committee, approached by the “Chronicle’* in the matter, “but. we must treat, the management of this city as a business. If we <•0111(1 keep the men on we would do so, but in deference to the wihtcr we have ha<l to spend a good deal on unemployment, more than we anticipated, and we have to cut our cloth accordingly to square the ledger at the end of the year.” The Council has no work being financed by loan monies at present and it has been pointed out that several men who were taken on when finance of that nature was available for work, such as that to extend Ridgway Street, or to improve the Okehu water service, have been absorbed in different posts nbmit the city and have come to be re garded as permanent hands. What the council is compelled to aim at now is to retain a staff which is competent to run and maintain the city on an economical basis. The rates levied provide for so many men and unless loan money is available to augment that number tfte council will probably not fee! disposed to go beyond the bare requirements of a city determined upon economy. (r. Poynter deprecated pessimism with regatd to AVanganui and its finances. and referred to the statement recently made by Air G. A. Troup, Mayor of AVellington, in which was shown the indebtedness of the various centres of the Dominion as revealed in the Local Authorities Handbook. The table quoted listed AVanganui as having the third lowest per caput indebtedness of the eleven municipalities referred to. The tabic is as follows:

“AA’anganui is not as badly off a 4 some people try to make out,” Ur 1 oynter stated. “If wc economise and keep running the city ns a business we will improve a very strong position.”

Net debt Net in- per n , Fopu- debted- caput. Borough. lation ness. £ 8 . <f. MaMerton .. .. 8.450 246.299 29 2 11 Christchurch .. 88.100 2.925.591 33 4 1 Wanganui .. .. 24.850 984 454 39 12 4 Z n, ;' ev 1 <5.025 646.R83 40 7 4 Wellington .... 105.4"0 4.297.254 4o 15 5 New Plymouth . 14.970 610.757 40 15 11 Invercargill .. 19.760 868.439 43 1R 11 1 almerston N. . 19.535 860.R7I 44 1 4 Hamilton .. .. 14.800 690,040 46 12 5 Dunedin .. .. 67.100 3.474,285 51 15 7 Auckland .. .. 102.070 6,174*929 60 9 11