Statement on P. & T. Salaries Cut Awaited

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 792, 12 October 1929, Page 8

Statement on P. & T. Salaries Cut Awaited

LABOUR’S DECISION COURTESY TO PRIME MINISTER Press Association PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Friday. j Saying that he was always prepared to live up to the courtesies j and decencies of the House, Mr. j H. E. Holland, withdrew his t amendment that a reduction of £2 be made in the Post and Telegraph vote as a recommendation to the Government that the salaries of the Post and Telegraplv Department's employees should be restored to the 1922 standard. Speaking after the luncheon adjournment, the Hon. T. M. Wilford said he had been asked by the Prime Minister, whom he had seen in the interval, to inform the House that a full and complete statement in regard to salaries of the civil servants affected by the "cuts” would be made as soon as Sir Joseph was able to take his place in the House again. An opportunity for discussing the statement would also be given. Mr. Holland said that in view of that undertaking he would ask leave to withdraw his amendment that the estimates be reduced by £2 as a protest against the failure to restore the reduced salaries. "I intended to support the amendment, because it was a request for the fulfilment of a promise made some time ago,” said Mr. A. M. Samuel (Thames), in regretting the action of Mr. Holland in seeking to withdraw his amendment. "I was of opinion when the amendment was moved that it was blank ammunition and I am still of that opinion.” The Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata: Very ungracious. QUESTION OF COURAGE "It is obvious to me that Labour members are extremely afraid of the amendment moved by their leader,” said Mr. Samuel. "They are afraid it ■will be put to the House.” The Chairman of Committees, Mr. S. G. Smith: I do not think the member is in order in suggesting other members’ lack of courage. Mr. Samuel: Well, I will say they fear the result if the amendment is put. They are sheltering behind the statement that the Prime Minister is ill, but the Prime Minister was ill when the amendment was moved, and the Postmaster-General made the same statement then as the Minister of Justice had since made, that the Prime Minister would make a statement when he returned to the House, and Would allow a discussion on the matter then. When the Labour Party saw the danger of the amendment being carried it was afraid. It feared the Government might be embarrassed. I say the Labour Party was not sincere when it moved the amendment.

Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) said it would have been cowardly to have persisted with the amendment in view of the statement made that the Prime Minister would later make a statement. Mr. Samuel seemed anxious to make the Labour Party vote out the Government. Mr. Samuel: Why did you place yourself in that position? MEETING PRIME MINISTER Mr. Holland said he had never refused to meet the Prime Minister when a request was made. “I will always be ready to live up to the courtesies and decencies of this House.” he said. He added that if Sir Joseph’s statement was not satisfactory the matter would be pressed at a later stage. The Labour Party had surrendered nothing whatever in agreeing to a courtesy sought by the Prime Minister. Mr. Coates said he was prepared to accept the assurance that a statemeut r>f policy would be given at an early date. It was the wish of every member of the Opposition that the Prims Minister would be hack in his place in the House at an early date.

Permission was then given Mr. Holland to withdraw his amendment.

SALARY COMPARISONS PROTEST BY P. AND T. OFFICERS "UNFAVOURABLE POSITION” The Auckland Telegraph Economic Committee has issued a statemeut in which it says it has been able to gather certain information that would permit the salaries paid to executive and administrative officers of the Department to be placed in an unfavourable light in comparison with those paid to similarly classed officers on the salary list of the Auckland City Council. In the list printed below it Is pointed out that a Department, which holds securities valued at £49.000,000, and conducting an efficient service, finds itself in an invidious position in comparison with business institutions. The salaries paid are set out in salary value sequence to permit the unfavourable posit ion to be more closely viewed for the purpose of comparison:

Town Clerk, Auck. Citv Council X 500 • 'ity Engineer. Al ck. City Council l 500 Manager Auck. Transport Board 1.r.00 Secretary P. and T. Department 1,300 Chief Telegraph Engineer. J \ a: T. Dept 1,250 First Assistant Secretary, I'. & T. Dept '1.050 City Treasurer. Auckland C.C... 1,000 Tramway and City Electrical Engineer, A.C.C 950 Second Assistant Secretary, P. A T. Dept 950 Assistant City Engineer. A.C.C.. POO Assistant Town Clerk, A.C.C. .. SOO City Valuer. A.C.C Son • hief Postmaster, Auckland.. .. T9O; District Telegraph Eng.. Auck.. 790 Chief Accountant, Transport Bd. 750' Telegraph Engineer. Auckland .. tins Eaw- and Committee Clerk. A.C.C. 050 Tramways, Sanitary Inspector. A.C.C..! 650 ;.J lt r^; orks Superintendent. A.C.C. 050 Chief < lerk and Tramway Cashier Auckland City Council .. . .’ 650 Manager of Abattoir .. .. cSO i.hief Traffic Inspector Auck lull'd I k City Cnin.-il .. ’ ‘ f.r»o librarian. Auckland C.C... 650

Telegraph Engineer, Auckland .. 615 ! Assist. Chief Postmaster, C.P.0., A uckla nd . 615 1 Parks Superintendent, Auckland C.C 600 ; Citv Organist, Auckland C.C. . . 600 j Engineer’s Assistant, .Auckland C.C. (plus £SO bonus; .. .. 600 i Accountant, Chief Post Office, Auckland 565 Assistant Telegraph Engineer, Auckland 5C5 Senior Supervisor, Telegraph Branch, C.P.0., Auckland .. 565 Garage Superintendent, Auckland City Council 550 Chief Building Inspector, A.C.C. 550 Bandmaster. Auck. City Council 520 Superintendent of Mails, C.P.0., Auckland 515 Supervisor, Money Order and Savings Bank, C.P.0., Auckland.. 515 Checking officer, Auckland C.C. 500 Rolling Stock Superintendent, Auckland City Council .. -. 500 Overhead Superintendent, • Auckland City Council 500 Superintendent off Claims, Auckland Citv Council 000 Chi'r Draughtsman, General Post Office, XVellington .. .. 4.0 The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, controlling a staff of 11,727 officers, will be seen to possess a salary value of £2OO below that paid to the town clerk, manager of the Transport Board and city engineer. The Chief Postmaster, Auckland, who directly controls a Chief Post Office staff of 713 officers, and a district staff of 90S, making a grand total of 1,617; 78 permanent officers and 381 non-permanent officers, or a grand total of 459 post and telegraph officers altogether: who is responsible for approximately 350 mail contracts, ranks in salary value £9 10s below that paid to the City Council valuer and assistant town clerk. The District Telegraph Engineer, with a staff of 801 officers, ivho controls millions of pounds of valuable electrical plant, and administers a district that reaches from the North Cape to Gisborne, commands a salary value of a minor executive officer on the City Council staff. Many executive officers on the Chief Postmaster's staff, carrying responsibilities that put many of the chief administrative officials on the Auckland City Council staff in the relative shade as regards importance and the number of transactions handled, all rank lower in salary value than the City Council’s rolling stock superintendent, overhead superintendent, and superintendent of claims, all of whom draw £SOO per annum by way of salary. Another table below shows up the unfavourable position of executive officers of the Post, and Telegraph Department compared with the rest of the Civil Service under the control of the Public Service Commissioner: Public Service P. and T. Department Department Over £ 500 .. 761 SO Over £ 000 .. 1,880 605 Under £OOO . 4,756 11,011 Totals . . 7,400 11,727