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Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1932, Page 4

A regulation has been gazetted in terms of which the annual increases of salary payable to teachers in public schools shall not be granted until authorised bv the Minister of Education. in other words, the payment ot animal increments has been suspended. No surprise need be felt at the adoption of this step by the Government in present circumstances. It cannot, of course, he supposed that it applies only to the teachers, says the Otago Times.- They would have cause ior complaint if it were so. The practice under which salaries are automatically increased every year obtains right throughout the public service. The aggregate of the increases may not he very large but it, is at least apprecianto. It is not a very sound principle upon which the increments have been paid. They have 1 'ten attached to the office wi'.licit regard to the merits of the ncrup-pot of it. 'No relative braid - ship will be suffered bv members of ibe public service in tl.-e ■ uspensimi of tin* system under which their salaries have been automata ally ’eei'c ed year after year. They will be simply placed in a nosit ion corresponding with that of the sabvied elas-es that arc no| in Hu* public service. The conditions which have necessitated the postponement ti increases o! salaries in private employment render it not less impend iv t Imt t lie men-eienls < i .salaries of publir servainis shall bo suspended. Tile (be, eminent is compelled bv lorn* of ejr emstanees to oll'eet H-oiiomuvi wlicrevei it can do so, it

js impossible to hold that a reduction of expenditure by the withholding ol increments of salary is not perfectly legitimate.