TAX DEPARTMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1939, Page 10

TAX DEPARTMENT

OVERTIME PAYMENTS

POSITION EXPLAINED

Payment of overtime for the staff of the Land and Income Tax Department employed in the Ford Building, Wellington, and the heating arrangements in the building were dealt with by the j Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. -J v j Savage) in a written reply made on behalf of the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) in the House of sentatives today to a question asked by Mr. S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North).

Mr. Savage said that overtime rates of pay and tea money were paid to Government servants in accordance with regulations made under the authority of the Public Service Act, 1912, and the staff of the Land and Income Tax Department in the Ford Building, Wellington, were paid accordingly. In accordance with regulation, overtime was not paid daily, but in monthly periods. The delay in the payment of overtime for the periods May 1 to May 26 and May 29 to June 30 was due to accounting purposes, and was not considered unreasonable.

"When the Department commenced work in the building in January of this year all floors were covered with feltine and malthoid floor-covering; but there were no heating facilities in the building," Mr. Savage added. "The Government has expended a considerable sum of money in conditioning the building to render it suitable for office accommodation, and a modern and efficient air-conditioning and heating system is» in process of installation. Certain floors in the, building have had 'the benefit of this heating system for some time, and the system will be in operation throughout the whole building within the next few days."