COST OF LIVING.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 November 1918, Page 4

COST OF LIVING.

PUBLIC SERVICE CLAIMS. A MILLION A YEAR. WELLINGTON, Oct 31. A very important decision by Cabinet was announced to-day by the Prime Minister Mr. Massey said, owing to. the greatly increased cost of living, the Government had been considering the question of pay and a war bonus to officers in the public service, and it had been determined to place on the Estimates for this year a sum of £589,000 in addition to the ordinary scale of increases of salary, to which public servants are entitled under the classification scheme, also in addition to the existing war bonus. The amount expended in the war bonus last year in the service amounted to £403,000, and it will therefore be seen that the total extra amount to be paid to public servants consequent upon the increased cost of living due to the war is represented by roughly £1,000,000 per annum. The additional sum of £589,000 provides for increased pay to cadets upon entering the service, additional bonus to officers of the Railway Department, increased pay for the police force, increased pay and bonuses to teachers and others in the Education Department, increased pay in the Prisons Department, special promotions in the service recommended by the Commissioner, additional war bonus throughout the rest of the service. These extra emoluments will be granted to lower-paid officials in the service, and it is hoped the increased pay and bonuses referred to will have the effect of relieving Civil servants of difficulties which ■ they have recently experienced owing to the greatly increased cost of living due to the war.