PUBLIC SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 July 1920, Page 5

PUBLIC SERVICE.

INCREASE OF PAY. ADVANCES TO RAILWAYMEN. ' SPREADING TEE BURDEN. Br Telegraph.—Press Aasoclntlot Wellington, Last Night, The House of Representatives this afternoon considered the Imprest Supply Bill, No. 2, appropriating a sum of £3,014,400 for salaries, wages, etc. Replying to preliminary questions, Mr. Massey said the Bill included proposed increases to the Public Service salaries recommended by the commissions recently set up to go into that question. The increases would be legalised by the Act, and the schedule of the Railway Bill would bo amended accordingly. There was provision in the Bill that if the cost of living falls then the bonuses now being granted would be diminished accordingly. He thought that it was only lair the increases should date back from April 1. In moving the second reading of the Bill, he recapitulated the circumstances which led to the commissions which were set up to consider increases in salaries of railway servants and public servants. The recommendations of these commissions were submitted to a committee of the heads of Public Service departments, who were asked to coordinate their respective findings. The recommendations of this committee would be read to the House.

Concluding, he said that to meet the increases in salaries contained in the Bill certain increases would be made In publio charges, and by means of these increases in railway freights, fares, and postal charges he hoped to get back at least £1,000,000. The Hon. \V. D. S. Mac Donald said the Bill was no doubt necessary, however unpleasant it might be to the Minister to have to raise the money. He was glad to see the money was being raised in such a way as not to flood the country with paper currency. He supported the Bill. Mr. Malcolm contended that the real trouble in the railway department was to be traced back to the abnormal increases given in salary to the General Manager, and those in the head office, while paltry increases only were given to the rank and file of the service. He supported a reversion to military training in schools, smaller expenditure on the Defence Department, and a larger subsidy to the navy, which, after all, was the first line of defence. Mr. Vcitch contended that some of the proposed increases to men in the skilled, branches of the railway service were not sufficient to eit-her keep the present employees or attract young men into those departments. The Hon. Sir William Herries defended the policy of the railway departs ment in the matter of freights He agreed with Mr. Veitch that skilled workers in the service were deserving of greater consideration, as it was the lowest paid men who most needed increases to meet the cost of living, but he combatted Mr. Malcolm's "preposterous" suggestion that the unrest in the railway department was due to the' increase in the General Manager's salary. The payment of £3OOO a year to Mr. McVilly was perfectly justified. Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) complained that the heads of the railway department were not open to suggestion from men who had practical experience. At the present time there was less organisation and less efficiency than ever in the history of the service. The discussion was proceeding when tluj House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.

When the House resumed in the evening, Mr. Wilford strongly condemned the autocratic attitude the Railway 'Department, which, he said, amounted to a "public bo damned" attitude. Mr. Isitt, in consequence df a remark by Mr Sullivan that he (Mr. Isitt) was more bitterly opposed to Labor than any follower of the Premier, delivered a fervid attack upon extreme Labor, which, he stfid, proclaimed democracy, biit so soon as it suited its purpose trampled the vital principle of democracy under its foot, and resorted to sabotage and direct action. He v-as a friend of Bane labor, but to Bolshevism he was, and always would be, opposed. Dr. T-hacker complained of a lack of comfort for the travelling public "on the railways. He; suggested that the Gflneral Manager should be sent (o America to tune up his knowledge of what comfort .for railway travellers means. At 12.45 a.m. the Dill was read a second time and passed through committee without amendment. On the third reading, Mr. Massey d&* fended the New Zealand railways, pointing out that the difficulty experienced in giving satisfaction was largely due to the narrow guagc, which, when lines were laid down, was no doubt the right thing, but the population had increased to such an extent that the railways could not now cope with the demands made upon them. He, however, did not think we could just now consider an alteration of the construction of the lines. Ho asked members, to remember the difficulty of getting rolling stock during the war, the scarcity j6f coal, and other difficulties which the department could not control. He denied he had too much work to do as Minister of Railways. He hoped to be Premier and Minister of Railways for the next twenty years, Dealing with the railway strike he declared the men were badly advised, but now the air had been cleared he hoped the railway service would settle down to do the good and useful work it had done in the past. ' The Bill was passed. WHAT THE BILL MEANS. . THE INCREASE IN SALARIES. PROVISION FOR HIGHER. PRICES. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. When Mr. Massey moved the second reading of the Imprest Supply Bill he referred in detail to' the proposed increases in railwayman's pay. He said the Railway Officers' Institute Board recommended a bonus at the rate of £2O per year to juniors in receipt of £l4O per year or under, and £SO per annum to other members of the first division in receipt of a salary up to and including £SOO per annum. The A.S.R.S. Board recommended by Mr. Justice Stringer that a bonus at the rate of 36 be paid. The E.F.C.A. had recommended (salary adjustments approximately equivalent to 3s per day to all members of the branch. The Uniformity 'Jommittea recommended an adjustment to sakrijii $f

officers of all blanches of Service as from April 1 on £2Q per annum to juntorß in salaries of £l4O per ar.nnm and £SO to other members 6f Service and the clerical di v railway service, tbe post department, and other under the control of tho vice Commissioner, , . -*:^H Effect is to be given ."to mendations of the board* ta y the railw.',? disputes above retegrld^B The total estimated cost. «f recommendations is £1,833,485.'" this amount should be cost of living bonus on thescale of £467,690, but to that should be added the amount whicwH already been authorised for tbtr|H ancial year ny way of salaries, £285,890. The nett cost of the adjustment of therefore, £1,051,086. <'..^fl The Board recommends that' crements be givep by way °' salary. To do this a snort «Acf be passed enabling the scale* of to be adjusted accordingly, to W*j|H by the Governor-General in commenting on the decision the tee stated that it was ceded that the increase in tbe living since 1914 had been cent. Taking £lO5 as the mlttfM wage for a married Man in increase on that amount of £OB oH reasonably be held to allow for predated value of tbe sovereign., JM cost of the increases will be pfwH for the postal department and way department J>y the increases rates now in preparation, V| ' The total amounts p#r inonta' 3H payable are for the railwayman <!H more than £75,000 per month) fwH officers of the Post and TelegraplaH partmont, £45,000; officer* of-'fH branches of the Public Service,'"'£6nH and officers employed' in tbe edueJfl service, £35,000 per month. .' ',,J^B The Bill authorises the payment Discharged Soldiers' Settlement AraH from the Consolidated Fund of to be repaid out of loan imqney raised subsequently. The »main< priation as detailed in the £2,500,000 to the ordinary reveriniH count, which must contain the payment of the increase in saqH authorised in the Bill, which <B*lH retrospective to the commencdnmH the financial year. '•-'-■"VpH The grants for the public are £350,000 to the general purjH account, and £75,000 to the ehdH supply account, while £3OOO «\]iM to the Nauru and Ocean Islands ac'cjH