Mr. Sterling Had To Be Paid For

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 478, 6 October 1928, Page 11

Mr. Sterling Had To Be Paid For

RUNNING THE RAILWAYS FINAL FLUTTER IN HOUSE (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, riday. “Some may say that the salary is too high, but I can't help that. As we saw it, Mr. Sterling is the man to run the railways, and if we wanted him we had to pay for him.” Thus the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, crystallised the position during another discussion this afternoon concerning the appointment of Mr. H. H. Sterling to the general managership of railways. “He is a young man, and I believe he will make his mark,” said the Prime Minister of Mr. Sterling. Criticism of the appointment followed lines now familiar. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. 11. L. Holland, did not doubt that M.r. Sterling was a very competent man, but believed the salary was far too high. There had been no hint prior to his appointment that there was any crisis in. the railway service to warrant the measures taken. The following amendment was moved by. Mr. Holland: “That tho Bill bo referred back to the Government with the recommendation that provision be made to confer on the rank and file of the service, equally with tho general manager, the right to buy back broken timo for superannuation purposes.” REGRETS PREDICTED Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) said it was too late in the session to hold up the Bill, but he ventured to predict that the Government would regret the day it placed it on the Statute Book. Tho House divided oa Mr. Holland’s amendment, which was lost by 41 votes to 17. Speaking to the motion that the Bill be read a third time, Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) said the more he considered the measure the more he was satisfied that the Government had co to a “panic decision.” It was not hard to imagine what had happened. Mr. Coates: I don’t trust you when you get on this imagination stunt. Mr. Veitch: I am not quite sure you are entitled to say that. I am not going to ask for the protection of the chair, but I think that remark was quite out of place. Mr. Atmore: lam sure it was. Take him up. Mr. Veitch: I think it was most unfair. Mr. Coates: But you said you were going to use your imagination. Mr. Veitch: Quite so; I have nothing else to work on. (Roars of laughter.) Mr. Coates: I accept that statement. Mr. Veitch pointed out that after remaining in the service for eight years Mr. Sterling could retire on £2,000 a year. He was a very lucky man.

MORE MONEY Mr. W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) said Mr. Sterling could have made as much money, if not more, had he remained with the New Zealand Dairy Company, IV. Lee Martin: Never on your Mr. Glenn: I say ho could have earned more. Mr. Martin: You are absolutely wrong. Mr. Speaker: Order! Order! Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) thought it wrong that any public servant should earn more than the Prime Minister, whose responsibility was a national one. “When I am addressing the electors said Mr. Parry, “I will tell them the truth about this matter.” A Member: That’s right. Shame the devil. Mr. D. Jones said, “If you went into the market for anything, you had to pay the market price. That was the position concerning Mr. Sterling. The same sort of criticism was heard from short-sighted Little Englanders when Disraeli paid £4,000,000 for Suez Canal shares. Mr. D. G. Sullivan compared Mr. Sterling s salary with that of Mr. F. W. Furkert, Engineer-in-chief of ihe Public Works Department, at £1,400 a year. Mr. J. A. Lee wondered if even Mr. Sterling’s closest friends had ever pictured him as he was now, picked as a super man. Air. A. M. Samuel: Are we to lose all our brilliant men through not paying fit and proper salaries? HERESY HUNT Mr. Coates described the attack on Air. Sterling’s appointment as a typical Opposition heresy hunt. There had been previous cases, such as those of Mr. Connelly and Air. M. J. Mack, in which superannuation rights had ueen restored in the same way as with Mr. Sterling. “He didn’t approach me. I approached him,” said Air. Coates, recounting tho method of recovering Air. Sterling’s services. “When I say I approached him, I hope I did so in a proper manner. I went to his manag-ing-director, Mr. W. Goodfellow, asking if he would release Air. Sterling. He said certainly not, and that he would offer Air. Sterling an increased salary to stay. Subsequently, Air. Goodfellow, in the interests of the railways, agreed to let Air. Sterling go, and I appreciate his kindness. Air. Stealing at first did not want to come back, but finally he agreed. “If you think you can turn It to party advantage, then go for it, make every post a winning post. You will need all you can get,” said Air. Coates, in a final word to the Opposition.