PUBLIC SERVICE SALARIES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 13

PUBLIC SERVICE SALARIES.

ASSOCIATION BEQUESTS. Tho report of a deputation from the Public Servico Association, which met tho Prime Minister is published in the "Public Servico Journal." The deputation asked that payment of the bonus recently granted to the Service should not bo "restricted to officers in receipt of less than £500. Mr Massey said this was the first time they had been able to go*up to £ 500 - • , „ OAMr Wright said that the £4o increment given as a cost of living incroasc of salaries was limitod to salaries up TO £400. It was urged that the : officers who wore not receiving the mcreases deserved more consideration Tho deputation urged that the £45 increment granted to tho &K*rvice s® n " orally was quite inadequate l . They ask oil that the basic wage, estimated by the Public Service Commissioner in 1914 at £IGS, should be increased by the percentage of increase that had been accepted by the Board of Trade, 62 per cent., less* the increased salarjr of £45 that had already been granted, and £lo bonus. They would then he in tho same position as' prior to the war, but they were not asking that that should be a permanent increase. They recognised j that it was probable that there would be a decrease in prices, and, of course, in the cost of living, and they would agree that there should be a rateable decrease on that salary, or salary plus bonus, in proportion to the decrease in the cost of living. Tho Public Service Act provided for a rateable increase or decrease, and they_ hoped that that provision would be .applied to them at the present time, thus placing them in the economic position in which they wore before the war. It was agreed that tho Public Servico should have a share in prosperity as well as in adversi4 5. Tho public servant had no reservo to meet tho increased expenditure, and was sinking in. the economic scale.

The Prime Minister pointed to the great obligations resting on the State, and the difficulty of finding money to meet all claims.

A mention by Mr "Wright of the basic wage in New South "Wales led Mr Massev to say: "I am prepared to put you all on the Arbitration Court." Mr Millar: We will consider that.

The deputation also mentioned travelling allowances for the general service, and Mr Massey admitted that 10s a day was not adequate. He had put tip the police travelling allowance, and was not aware that tho allowance for the general service had not been adjusted.

The Prime Minister stated at the close of the interview that he would see that the police got the increase recently granted to other sections of the Service.