To the Editor.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 13, 7 September 1931, Page 4

To the Editor.

G. C.

NAUMANN,

BOROUGH SALARIES AND WAGES • Sir, — Under date of July 15 a letter wag sent by the Ratepayers' Association to the Rotorua Borough Couneil, of which the followioig is a eopy: "The purpose of the present is to express this association's grave concern oceasioned through. the couneil ignoring the local and Dominion wide economic conditions hy permitting the salaries of Borough officials to continue on the present scale. "When these salaries were determined, it must he conceded that the cost of living and relative incidentals were considerahly in excess of what they are to-day and it is becap.se of this indis'putable controlling factor that the Government, the Arhitration Cofirt, the Auckland City Couneil and other local bodies have deiemed it their duty to hring both salaries and wages into line with tbe ehanged conditions. "To maintain at the present level the remuneration of those under review we consider to he a palpable injustice to the eommunity by preventing those having to s'houlder the extra burden, all of whom are financially suffering in a greater or lesser degree, from ohtaihing "a saving to which we believe they are justly entitled, Moreover the invidious treatment of those now benefitting to an extent which wa3 . not contemplated in the past, is in our opinion, on any legitimate grounds, indefensihle* and further, in direct conflict with the formal instructions of the Arhitration Court that everybody should make the reduction and pass the saving on to the public. "Private employerg have moved decisively in that direetion and it may he pertinent therefore to inquire by what right or reason the officials concerned have been exempted. Local bodies failing to recognise ' the necessity for employees reductions are retarding instead of assisting the economic re-adjustment considered so essential by tha Government and the Arbitration Court. We, therefore, request your earnest consid'eration to reduce all salaries and wages in excess of £208 per annum by 10 per cent. — I am, etc.. ROTORUA RATPAYERS' ASSOCIATION. G. C. Naumann, Hon. Secretary. Rotorua, August 15, 1931. A reply dated August 20 was received saying: "That the couneil had gone very carefully into the question of salaries at the beginning of the finaneial year, and has by strict economy been able to .reduce the rates by 10 per cent.. and as members of the staff are not overpaid for services rendered, the couneil has decided to make no reduction in salaries and wages at the present time." As regards the statement that the staff is not overpaid, let Rotorua be compared with other places, Mount Albert for instance with a population of over 20,000 payg its Town Clerk £600 per annum for doing the work without an assistant. With a population of barely 6000 Rotorua pays somethihg like £700 for the services of a Town Clerk and assistant. Any claimg as to extra duties peculiar to the Rotorua office must be more than counterhalanced by the much greater population of the Auckland suburb. Farthsr, even supposing that the staff is not overpaid were not hundredg of certainly not overpaid civil servants subjected to the 10 per cent cut, wHle the incom'es of producers and others have suffered in many cases to„ the extend of 50 per cent. owing to -weli known causes? Reducing the rates hy 10 per cent. has certainly eased the burden of the ratepayers, but does not constitute a reason for not reducing salaries; in fact, it seems an added' argument for doing so. However, the Ratepayers' Association is not making this demand merely for the sake of lowering the cost of administration, but for a sense of justice, which demands equality of sacrifice. Finally, although the couneil claims not to have reduced • wages of employers, it has nevertheless reduced their ineomes by a curtailment of working time. which appears unjust while the ineomes of the salaried staff remain unaffected. Thanking you, Sir, for your valuable space, — I am, etc.,

Hon. Secretary, Rotorua Ratepayers' Association. Rotorua, September 5, 1931.