THE SALARIES “CUT".

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1922, Page 7

THE SALARIES “CUT".

BILL IN COMMITTEE. AN ALL NIGHT SITTING. SIX CLAUSES PASSED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Jan. 2u. After the telegraph office closed last night Mr. Massey’s amendment was agreed to by 51 votes to 18.

Mr. Veitch made an effort to suspend the operation of the new clause until it had been agreed to by a majority of the organisations concerned, but his amendment was lost by 41 votes to 26.

Mr. M’Combs then returned to the question of exemption of salaries below £2lO from the reduction, but this was defeated by 35 votes to 31.

A vote was then taken on clause 2 as a whole which was agreed to by 57 votes to 11. Mr. Sullivan moved to report progress, but the Premier would not consider the suggestion and on a division the motion was rejected bv 54 votes to 15.

In clause 3 Mr. Fraser moved to strike out from exemptions the Govern-or-General. i

The Hon. E. P. Lee said if this was carried it would be necessary to reserve the Act for the Royal assent.

The amendment was lost by 51 votes to 9.

Mr. Holland moved to strike out from exemptions judges of the Supreme Court.

Ths Hon. E. P. Lee pointed out that this was contrary to the Constitution Act and could not be moved.

The chairman held that this objection Was fatal to the amendment and ruled it out of orde . This also applied to a judge of the Arbitration Court. HIGH COMMISSIONER’S SALARY.

Mr. Parry moved to bring the High Commissioner within the scope of the but it was considered there was a contract in this case which could not be ituaced. Mr. Holland retorted that there was a contract with every man who entered the railway service,' and that contract was now being torn up. The Premier said the High Commissioner’s expenses were very high. His rent alone was £7OO a year. Further there was a contract for three years with Sir James Allen and that contract should be respected. After a lengthy discussion the amendment was lost by 38 to 30.

Mr. Fraser o n behalf of Mr. Bartram (Grey Lynn) moved to reduce fees and comm'issions paid by the Government to professional men. The Hon. E. P. Lee contended that this could not be done.

Mr. Holland replied that the Government must find a way of doing it if the House so directed them. In reply to the contention that these men paid through, the income tax l , he said it was surprising how the Government applied that argument when it suited them, but when the Labor Party said the whole of the money should be raised through income-tax they said it could not be' done.

The amendment was lost by 46 to 18, and the clause as a whole was added to the bill by 51 to 15.

At 4:20 a.m. Mr. Holland moved to report progress on the ground that the House was not physically fit to consider such important legislation at that hour. The Premier said a majority of members desired to go on. They had passed only two clauses and he asked the House to go on and finish. The motion was lost by 47 to 21.

Mr. Stratham moved an amendment to clause 4 providing for graduated but increasing reduction on all salaries above £5OO.

The Premier was suspicious of the clause and advised the House to reject it. Mr. Wilford supported the amendment because it provided for graduation and would produce more revenue than the Premier’s proposal. The amendment was negatived by 37 to 31. POSITION OF TEACHERS. At five o’clock Mr. Wilford moved to report progress, but this was negatived by 42 to 23. In clause 5 Mr. Parry moved that in the case of teachers the Bill come into operation on April 1 instead of January 1. Mr. Massey said they could not fix a different date for teachers than had been fixed for other public servants. He pointed out that in 1918 £200,099 was provided for teachers, and, in 1920 £300,000 was provided. He was not proposing to cut into the £200,000 but he did propose to take some of the £300,000. He was anxious to make the cut as fair as possible, and that would take time for consideration. It was a very difficult question.

The Hon. C. J. Parr said the average deduction from teachers would be about £1 per month out of £2O for women and £1 per month out of about £27 for men, so that the hardship was not very great. Discussion on the amendment lasted till 0.20 a.m., when it was rejected by 38 to 28. Mr. .Savage (Auckland West) moved to postpone the reduction for twelve months. This was not f scussed, and <1 ivision was lest by 39 to 25. Mr. Sullivan (Avon) moved that the reduction in teachers’ salaries be at the rate of 1 per cent, on the annual -rate of increases, not 30 per cent, as proposed in the Bill. This was negatived by 39 to 25, and clause 5 was added the Bill by 39 to 25. At 7 o’clock Mr. Holland moved to report progress. Negatived by 43 to 22. POSTPONEMENT REJECTED. In clause 6 Mr. Howard moved to substitute April for January as the date from which, the reduction takes place. He contended that there was a general understanding throughout the Dominion, as the result of a pronouncement by the Arbitration Court, that wages were to be stabilised until ?xpril 1922. This amendment aimed at giving effect to that understanding. Mr. Massey declared that if such an undertaking existed the Governmenr was not responsible for it or a party to it, and could not be bound by it.

The amendment was negatived by 39 to 24.

The Prime Minister moved new «übelauses I and II in clause 6, which governed progressive rates at which reductions arc to be made. These were agreed to.

Mr. Fraser moved an amendment on the Premier’s new clause, the effect of .v|>icn was non-interference with salaries below £320. Ixist by 41 to 25.

Mr. Fraser moved a, similar amendment affecting wage earners in the pub

lie service, which also was lost by 39 to 27.

Mr. Sullivan moved an amendment for the purpose of maintaining the present rate on overtime. -Lost bv '39 to 27 Mr. MUombs moved that there be no reduction in wages or bonuses until the cost of living, computed on all groups, had fallen 10 points below the 52 per cent, increase on prices ruling in 1914. Negatived by 39 to 26.

Clause 6 as amended was then challenged but was agreed to by 40 to 26. Progress was then reported and the House rose at 8 o'clock till 2.30 this afternoon.

Thirty divisions took place during the sitting.