SALARIES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40028, 26 November 1929, Page 3

SALARIES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS.

MR. HOLLAND’S ADVICE,

Wtestport, November 23,

At the Town 'Hall last night Mr. 11. E. Holland, M/P., Leader of the Labour Party in Parliament, delivered an address on the Civil Service cuts before; a large gathering, in which Civil servants predominated. Tracing the history of the reductions and the steps taiken by the Labour Party to have them restored, the speaker said that all efforts had been consistently opposed by flie'Rei'drm Party, while the Liberals bad vacillated.

Concluding, Mr. Holland added: “The stage has now been reached where the next effective move is with the Public servants themselves. In the past years very many of them have given continuous support to the Reform Party, In 1925, indeed, there was almost a. stampede of the majority into the Reform camp. In 1928 the drift Avas into the camp of the United Party. In both cases the Public servants so voting were considerably disillusioned. It is true many of tne Public servants have given devoted service to the Labour moment, and consisten t'support to the Labour Party at the polls, but in some branlhes of the scrvires these have not by any means constituted the, majority. However, the question now is: Wlhat are the Public servants as a' whole going to do about the future? Motions expressing indignation .with those members of the House who on November 4 voted against the Public servants are fully justified, but something more than resolutions is necessary. There is a choice of only two courses open to Public servants. They are not likely to sit down,'quietly and, like Mieawbejrs, wait for something to turn up. So they have to choose between constitutional action (which is political action) and the method of strike. I have no hesitation in saying that Public servants have everything to gain by the constitutional method, and since this is so, and since a host of them now look to the Labour Party for justice for them, it is ,reasonable to Urge that they 'follow the example set by the operating staff of the telegraph office at Auckland and join with the rest of the workers in placing the moral and financial support of their organisations behind the. Labour Party, both in flie Hutt contest next month and in the next general election, which may be nearer than many people quppose.”

At the conclusion of the address the following resolution was carried unanimously: “That this meeting of Public servants of Buller district congratulates the Labour Party on its consistent fight for salary improvements of the citizens of .the State, and unreservedly endorses its action in this direction in the session just ended.”

MR. COATES REPLIES

LABOUR, MOTION CONDEMNED

Wjellingtoh, Last Night,

Mr. J. G. Coates, in ah intervieAV, replied to "a speech of M(i\ H. E. Holland, reported as having been delivered at Westport on Friday. “The' .fact is,” said M% Coates, “that when the Reform Government reduced the salaries of the public servants (including members of Parliament) in 1922 the whole country Avas suffering from the effects of a very severe slump. The economic situation Avas almost critical and the Government had appealed to the whole community to take in sail to enable it to weather the storm. Bo far as the public servants, Avere concerned, the only alternatives Avere either for all State employees to accept a percentage reduction or else for departments to make ends , meet by discharging a large number of employees.”

This was the situation in 1922 anti the Government of the day was proud of the way in which the public servants had then faced the realities of the situation and accepted the. adjustment. At the same time, the Reform Government promised the public servants that their position would be reviewed at the earliest possible moment that the finances of the country * permitted. Further, the salaries ( of nearly all public servants were afterwards increased as a result of reclassification, the Government haying given an underfealang.d)efprer r the general election that after the elections (at the latest by April, 1929) when regrading and reclassification were under review, it would the amount of increase to be granted to public servants. “I suggested in the House last session an immediate increase of £lO in the maxima for men on the £240, £265 and £295 limits. This was done before the half-yearly financial statement was presented and when the United Government was still keeping, the country in the dark about the financial position.

At the same time, Mi’. Holland and the Labour Party were engaged in a sham fight with their friendsj the United Government. The Labour Party produced a motion recommending the Government to make an increase in public service salaries, but this motion was cunningly worded, in such a way as to ensure that it could not be earned It was suggested in the House that the wording of tihe motion might not have been, the result of the unaided work of Labour members, or if it were their own work, it was certainly designed to-javoid embarassiiig the Government, by any risk of its going through. There was quite unnecessary. and irrelevant reference to the original cuts as ‘an unjust levy.’ This impression, in effect a vote of condemnation on the

previous Government, cannot have been included for any other purpose than that of deterring Reform members from supporting it. If Mr. Holland and the Labour Party were genuine in their desire to assist the public servants and not actuated, as appearances suggest, solely by consideration of party tactics, why could they not have confined their motiop to the single essential of recommending an increase in salaries?” Mr. .Coates said he and other Reform members in the House had clearly and emphatically stated that they Avere in favour of such an increase, had the matter been left att that.

“Now that the half-yearly figures arc available and the revenue is found to be in a very healthy condition,” said Mr. Coates, “I wish to state, with a full sense of responsibility and with ; ian intimate knowledge both- of the capacity of departments to pay and also of the struggles of lower paid public service officers, that I am prepared to increase by £ls per annum the maxima foy men at the £240, £205 and £295 limits. In saying this, I know the feelings of my associates in Parliament.”