The Oamaru Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 5 October 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1880.

Where will the Government cease in attacking the salaries and wages of its einplovcs 1 .'When the Colonial Treasurer discovered that Parliament would insist npon a material reduction in the total amount of his estimates, he, true to his instincts, availed himself of the unusual reduction suggested by the Civil Service Commissioners. The. Commissioners recommended that " a reduction of not less than per centshould be made on the railway wages and salaries." But they "thought it was quite possible that it might not be desirable to be perfectly uniform in the application of pay to all officers and branches of the service," This is a saving clause, that should Iwe protected the wages class from the spoliation that has arisen out of the retrenchment The Commissioners evidently realised the fact anything approaching a uniform reduction in salaries and wages would be inequitable. But they should have been more i explicit. Had they enunciated a plan somewhat similar to that proposed by Mr. Reader Wood, they would have acted in a manner that would probably have led to tho establishment of a just, instead of an, qnjugt. system of reduction. They recommend a 12| per cent, reduction, and, apparently as an after-thought of but minor importance, in their estimation, they add that it is quite possible that it might not bo desirable to observe uniformity. The House wclS in a frame of mind decidedly unfavorable to ft jiniform scale, and had the Commissioners been more explicit, expressed themselves decidedly as opposed to uniformity, and suggested a eliding scale, the principle would have been carried. Ministers, although they frequently expressed themselves regretful that it was necessary that the wages class should ha subjected to a 10 per centreduction, took advantage of the iudefiniteness of the opinions expressed by- the Commissioners, and, insisted upon all-round reduction so as to, as fitf possible, save the salaries of the higher servants from attack. This was nothing more than might have been expected of such ft Ministry. But they have now taken an unwarrantable liberty. It is true that a majority in Parliament opposed a graduatory system of redaction, but a majority also fixed the maximum of t)?e reduction of the wa«es classes"at a maximujn of 10 per cent. They expressed regret that such a reduction was necessary, and' never dreamt of tho 10 per cent, scale being exceeded, except in dealing with tlie higher salaries. The nuriority in the House contended that if useless officers were discharged and offices abolished there would be no necessity to attack wages that were already sufficiently low to render the greatest amount of frugality necessary. The Government differed from this view, and protected the fat salaries of their official friends so strenuously and effectually that, when the Estimates had passed through, it was plain that if material retrenchment was to be effected at all in the colonial expenditure, the wages classes would have to be sacrificed. But the Government has exceeded the functions delegated to it by Parliament, Whilst they have religiously adhered to the 10 per cent, system in the case of salaries, which, "according to the honest convictions of a large majority in Parliament, mi>'ht, in numerous instances, have been reduced by at least.2o per cent, without inflicting the slightest injustice on the subjects of t"h/& reduction, they have juggled a system into existence by wiiich the wages Glasses are deprived of 20 per cent, or over. Comment on such conduct h- almost superfluous.- The hardship is s.b clear as noonday. Yet this is not all. Whilst the wages classes are bemoaning their sad fate —whilst they are counting their pence ?>tul half-pence with a care that denotes a terrible struggle to make both ends meet—whilst many of them are driven almost to desperation in their efforts to keep themselves and their wives and children clothed and fed on their reduced" salaries—the Government, as though owing them ai grudge (that could not be satisfied except by witnessing the half-starved and ragged forms of these men, their wives, and children, trench, yet further upon their poor pittances. We have before us a circular which runs as follows: — On and after Ist October, every receipt for money paid by the Government from two pounds sterling (L2) and upwards must . bear a . penny receipt stamp, and such stamp must be provided by the person to whom the payment is.made. This will apply to all employes, who must be prepared to affix the necessary stamp when resgjyjpg their wages or other payments. Where, we again ask, will this bleeding operation stop 1 Increased Customs duties, property tax; 20 per cent, reduction in wages ; withdrawal of subsidies, necessitating increased local taxation; the imposition of the sole responsibility of supporting our charitable institutions ; and now this iniquitous filching of Id on every receipt for money paid, by Government from L2 upwards. What next? We shall yet hear that the Government contemplate hanging all the working men.