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the wages of subordinates conceded by the Royal Naval
Yard, and to the publicity attaching to the higher wages
being awarded to the same class of employee in the
Colonial Service, it was as inevitable that a like
consideration should be sought by the subordinates in
our employ as it is impossible for one branch of the
public service to stand aloof from or to ignore
circumstances to which others have yécided less of
course from compulsion than from a fair and reasonable
recognition of unprecedented conditions.
-
I therefore make the following recommenda-
tions which I strongly urge may be given effect to, the
increases, though seemingly high as compared with the
salary, being really much below the aggregate increase
that has taken place in the items of house rent and of
provisions here since the salaries were fixed at the ir
present amounts. And I specially urge that the
salaries be issued free of income duty. This is not
an incidence of taxation here, so that in being charged
income duty these men are doubly taxed, because they pay
all the local taxes as well, from which officers are
exempt, an indulgence which has been refused in the
case of the men herein referred to.
(a) The pay of the three Expense Store Accountants
and of the Superintendent of Water Transport, Mr Comley
to be raised from a minimum of $140 to $165 rising to $190 by yearly increments of $5.
a month,
(b)
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