All Salaries Drop

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 931, 26 March 1930, Page 9

All Salaries Drop

CUT IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Politicians to Get Less

LONGER HOURS AND HIGH TAXES

DETERMINED to cure the economic ill* of New South Wales, the State Cabinet will shortly use the pruninsr knife on nil civil service salaries, and a 10 per cent, drop i* expected. Members of the Legislature will not escape, but have agreed to a reduction. Longer hours are to be worked, and drastic taxes will he imposed upon incomes.

United I*.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. noon. SYDNEY, Today. A definite announcement is now possible that the New South Wales State Cabinet will introduce a short measure this session providing that all members of the Public Service shall have their salaries reduced 10 per cent., and shall also work longer hours weekly. Judges are included in the scheme, which it is estimated will save £1,000,000 a year. It is also proposed that there shall be no annual increases in salaries or new appointments. A Bill to introduce a general 48-hour week will also be brought down providing that employers desiring that their employees should work longer hours need not apply for the Court’s permission. , The Government’s proposals include the imposition of stamp duty and tax on wages similar to a scheme about to be considered by the Victorian Parliament—one penny in the £ on wages up to £l2 weekly, a flat rate of Is 6d weekly on wages over £l2, and up to £I,OOO a year; and 2s a week on each £I,OOO for salaries over £I,OOO a year. The Chief Railway Commissioner’s (Mr. W. J. Cleary) salary, which was fixed a.t £5,000 on his appointment, will amount to only £I,OOO. He has forgone half his salary owing to the financial depression, and £2,000 of this is being devoted to distress among railwaymen’,s families, and £SOO returned to the Treasury. He will be assessed for income pur-

i poses on £5,000. the tax amounting to l £1,500. leaving him with a net income j of £I,OOO a year. An earlier ■ message said the members of the Nationalist and Country Parties of New South Wales had agreed to vote in favour of reducing the salaries of members of the Legislative Assembly by 15 per cent. Ministers intend to make a cut of at least 15 per cent, in their own salaries. The Government’s economic proposals were placed before a joint party meeting today. They showed that the total saving in Ministerial and Parliamentary salaries, on the basis of a 15 per cent, reduction, would be about £IB,OOO a year. Each member will sacrifice £l3l ss. Other proposals definitely agreed upon by the Cabinet are: A re-intro-duction of the 4S-hour week, a return to Saturday morning work by public servants and a general cut in the salaries of all Government employees. In addition to a 10 per cent, cut in salaries public servants probably will be asked to take one week off in 11 without pay, in order to avoid retrenchment. GOLDMINERS SACKED Reed. noon. SYDNEY, Today. Five hundred men employed at Captain’s Flat goldfield are affected by the company’s decision to close the mines this week-end and continue only with a section of underground development, pending an arrangement with the Government for the construction of a branch railway to Bunendore. Transport at present costs £9,000 to £IO,OOO a week.