CIVIL SERVICE PAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 222, 19 September 1934, Page 8

CIVIL SERVICE PAY

INCREASE JUSTIFIED FINANCES IMPROVING MINISTER’S STATEMENT. [ Per Press Association. ) WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. At the opening of the annual meeting of the Public Service Association, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates made reference to the 5 per cent, salary increase. “It was because we felt that we had the loyal support of the public service without complaint, working long hours and overtime with little or no recognition of that over the past four years, that we felt that it was due to members the moment conditions appeared to justify recognition of their services that we would do so.” Mr. Coates added that, so far as the public accounts were concerned, they were justified in making the 5 per cent, increase. He would have liked to have gone further, but he had to move along safely. He thought that they would agree that that course in the long run was the wisest to pursue. With regard to the superannuation problem, Mr. Coates mentioned that a very careful examination of the position was being made by the Government actuary, who would be able to tell the Minister of Finance exactly what he thought about the position. Mr. Coates expressed the view that New Zealand had hit the bottom pretty hard, bufr he thought that they were now bouncing up again.