LOW SALARIES

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 451, 7 June 1937, Page 6

LOW SALARIES

SCIENTIFIC WORKERS Government Departments Press Association—Copyright. Christchurch, June 5. Concern at low salaries paid and offered to scientific research workers in Government departments was expressed by Mr A. E. Heffbrd, chief inspector of fisheries, at the final meeting of th e New Zealand Freshwater Research Committee. He said that at the same time he found the public service commissioners most sympathetic in considering these salaries. “What I am concerned about is the salaries,,” said Mr Hefford, when the committee had formally handeji over its functions to the Marine Department. "All round, the scientific worker is underpaid in comparison with other workers. In the Government service there is <ai .'tendency to that throughout.” Dr. G. F. V. Anson said that he recently saw the following advertisement in a newspaper:—“Wknted, laboratory assistant, science degree essential, salary £200.”

“I have frequently been exasperated at it,” said Mr Hefford.. He said that he had seen in the same issue of a newspaper two 'advertisements, one for a traffic inspector and one for a research worker. The inspector was offered £3OO a year, compared with £250 for the research man. He understood thlat the Government had been approached, about this distinction, and he hoped that the seed thus sown would grow. “However, he added, “I have found that the public service commissioners are very sympathetic toward the question of salaries for scientific workers, but it. is a difficult thing to appraise the worth in terms of salary of one class of scientific work compared with another, or compared with other departmental service.”