RETRENCHMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 11

RETRENCHMENT.

EMPLOYEES GIVEN NOTICE. a WANGANUI CITY FINANCES OVERSPENT. (PRSSS ASSOCIATION TBXJEG&AX.) WANGANUI. November 11. After two hours' debate the Wanganui City Council decided to-night that the services of 10 men on the city engineer's outside staff should be dispensed with, and that the remaining 87 employees should bo asked to take three weeks' leavo without pay. Members of the Labour Party on tb® Council strove to introduce an amendment to tho effect that the services of one foreman should be dispensed with, that the officers of city draughtsman and assistant engineer be combined, that the position of chief mechanic be abolished, and that the whole of the remaining staff in the department bo instructed to take a pariod of leavo without pay equal "to that taken by the outside staff. The deba'te resulted in some straight speaking. Or. Darbyshiro held that the Council alone was responsible for the position it was facing. The allocation of money from tho Works end Services Department for unemployment without making sure that a £3 for £1 subsidy was available had resulted in. permanent men having to be sacrificed for the sake of those taken on under the relief scheme. Mr Darbyshir© said he had predicted what to® position would be, and the engineer had done likewise at different period® of the year, and he accused the Council of walking into the position with their eyes wido open.