POWER BOARD STAFF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1943, Page 4

POWER BOARD STAFF

ALLOWANCES TO MEMBERS ON WAR SERVICE PROPOSALS FOR AMENDED SCALE. SUBMITTED BY CHAIRMAN. (“Times-Age” Special.) Proposals submitted by the chairman, Mr A. C. Pearce, regarding allowances payable to members of the staff serving in the armed forces, were considered at today’s meeting in Carterton of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board. It was decided to defer the proposals until the next meeting of the board, but in the meantime to circularise local bodies in the district to obtain information and their opinions on the proposals. Mr Pearce’s proposals were that previous resolutions regarding allowances paid to the board’s employees in the armed forces should be rescinded, and that from April 1. 1943. the allowances should be a sum not Exceeding 10s per week and 5s per week for each child under 17 years of age for married employees, and a sum not exceeding 5s per week for single men. The employees’ contributions to the National Provident Fund would be a first charge cn the allowance granted by the board. Mr F. C. Daniell said local bodies in the Wairarapa should be circularised with the chairman’s proposals, to enable a common decision to be reached. “Local bodies should act in unison,” said Mr W. A. Tate, in agreeing with Mr Daniell’s suggestion. He said that in England endeavours had been made to discourage men’s Army pay being made up, as men who worked for private employers were placed in an invidious position. Mr Daniell: “We must be fair to the men and just to the consumers.” “As I have said before, we do not wish to be pretty good fellows at the expense of consumers,” observed Mr Pearce.