THE LOCAL BODIES

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19913, 16 June 1936, Page 6

THE LOCAL BODIES

When the previous Government decided to peg the exchange rate at a high level one of the adverse eflects that was overlooked during the discussion was the additional cost the local bodies that had borrowed overseas would have to face. And it looks very much as though the effects on local authorities of the labour legislation recently passed had not been carefully estimated. The Mayor of ‘Vellington has stated that the shorter working week, higher wages and increased payments for holidays will cost the city about £76,000 per annum: The position of practically all local bodies will be afiected to some extent, and doubtless they are now busy ascertaining approximately the aggregate cost that must be met. Their difficulty lies in the fact that the public services they control are of such a. nature that limitation is almost impossible. The staffs employed on such services as water, drainage, and lighting have to maintain them without a break throughout the year. Night work and Sunday work are unavoidable so that, unless the Arbitration Court devises some practical plan for dealing with these continuous occupations, the local bodies will be involved in very heavy additional expenditure. It may be that they, and also the staffs of the hospital boards, will come under the heading of “not employed in gainful occupa—tions,” but, if not, it is clear that the hospital boards will have to make far—reaching adjustments, involving numerous additions to their staffs. The application of the legislation to them would necessitate increased levies on the contributing bodies, but probably the Government has some plan, on the lines of that applied to certain special occupations where some other provision will he made to meet the difficulty. Fortunately several members of the Cabinet have had experience of local body work and know the dimculties that drastic changes would create, but just at present the position is far from clear. The Minister of Labour is issuing explanatory statements of the various Bills that he introduced and it is to be hoped that he will state definitely how the local authorities stand. The Napier Borough Council has suggested that all local body ernployees should he formed into one! union, instead, as at present, of being divided into a. number, but this has been strongly opposed by Labour leaders. The Whole position needs to be clarified and that is the duty of the Minister.