LOWER WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1922, Page 6

LOWER WAGES.

TREATING ALL ALLKF. INGLEWOOD COUNTY’S ACTION. When the report of the proceedings of the counties conference, at which it was decided to reduce the wages of county employees by 1./- per day, was read at the meeting of »t'he Inglewood County Council yesterday, the chairman stated that he had moved that the salaries of the engineer and clerk, and also the county chairman’s honorarium, should be proportionately reduced. He had moved this in accordance with the feeling expressed by councillors that reduction should begin at the top, but he bad received no seconder. He had twitted the other delegates present on the question, pointing out that they were willing to reduce the working man who received 13s or 14s per day and only worked three or four days per week, but were not prepared to tackle the man who received £4OO or £5OO per year. However, he would bring the matter up again at the next meeting. Were it not for the amount of expense he had been put to over the adjustment, etc., he would not accept any expenses.

Cr. Capper congratulated the chairman on the stand he had taken up. The Egmont County Council was the only one that had faced the matter and had reduced the salaries of all, as well as their own expenses. Personally, when as a member of the Mangam u Road Board, he received no expenses, he thought he had done more than he ever had done as a member of a county council. It was decided to adopt the report and also to notify the secretary of the association that unless all counties strictly adhered to the resolution, Inglewood County would retire from it altogether. The chairman, during the course of the discussion, said that the opinion of all councils, though loath to do so, was that they would have to reduce wages and reduce hands. He felt it would not be long before the wages were reduced again, and also the salaries of clerks and engineers. Later in the meeting the subject was again brought up, and on the motion of Cr. Capper, seconded by Cr. Hair, it was unanimously decided to reduce councillors’ expenses to 1/- per mile, payable one way only, and to reduce the chairman’s honorarium by £25 per annum, these reductions to take place the same date as the reduction in the men’s wages, viz., April 1 next.