Public Servants Fear Salary Cut

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 100, 19 July 1927, Page 13

Public Servants Fear Salary Cut

FARMERS’ AGITATION MR. POLSON ASSAILED (From Our Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, To-day. A N exchange of pleasantries was shattered to some extent, for a period, at the annual reunion of the Waikato and King Country section of the Post and Telegraph Association at Hamilton last night, when Mr. H. H. Brown, assistant organiser of the association, indulged in some sharp comment on the movement, which, he alleged, had For its object the reduction of the salaries of the Post and Telegraph employees. He vigorously condemned Mr. W. J. Poison and the Farmers’ Union organisations, which, he suggested, intended to move in the direction which would by no means improve the salary prospects of the Post and Telegraph employees. “I have quite a lot to say about that gentleman, Mr. Poison,” he said in opening up his strong attack in justification of which he proceeded with oil his own lines regarding conditions in the service. He stated they were of close concern to employees and their wives, who should take intelligent interest in the attack launched by the. Farmers’ Union organisations in New Zealand, which was similar to tha l : made in 1920. Just the other day an organiser for the Farmers’ Union addressed a meeting at Cambridge. He had read a report and the speech was remartcable because what he alleged in relation to the Post and Telegraph Department was inaccurate and misleading.

It had been said that the farmers were in a parlous state owing to the lavish expenditure of the Government, and that economies in the public services would have to be effected by way of relief. It was obviously impossible to effeset economies in the Post and Telegraph Department unless by a reduction In salaries, because all the services was essential to the welfare of the country. “If the Government is going to take any notice of our friend Mr. Poison,’* stated the speaker, “you are going to have a reduction in salaries.”

Mr Poison, continued the speaker, had evidently tried to make out a case that gave no justification for an increase in the cost of the Post and Telegraph service administration. “He is posing as an economist, but he is the most peculiar one I have ever heard or read about.” A reasonable basis of computation would have been to compare the salaries with those of 1914, and assess the payments with the relative ”alue of money at present, when it took 33s 4d to purchase what £1 did in 1914. Quoting comparative figures, Mr. Brown said the postal revenue had increased from £695,136 in 1914 to £1,257,962 in 1925. The telegraph revenue had increased from £579.815 in 1914 to £1,631.508 in 1925, while the post office deposits had increased from £17,131,414 in 1914 to £49.948,628 in 1925.

“Now for another little illustration,” went on the speaker.

Pie said that there were 44.000 miles of telegraphic lines in 1914 and 56.415 in 1925, and, by the way, added Mr. Brown, “he could have told the farmers a lot of extra mileage was to confer a favour on the poor, downtrodden farmer.” “I don’t want to say anything about the farmers personally,” he proceeded. ‘ but I have no alterative but to take up the cudgels on behalf of the service after the challenge which has been thrown down.” Mr. Brown then proceeded to qualify his statements by giving figures relative to the Post and Telegraph Department and said that the salaries were increased by an average of 33 1-3 per cent, over 1914 compared with over 57 per cent, in outside occupations under the Arbitration awards. Based on the cost of living the farmers were now getting 94 per cent, increase in returns for their produce over 1914.