ROYAL COMMISSIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2173, 15 July 1889, Page 2

ROYAL COMMISSIONS

' » A gtand Institution is a Roy*,! Commission, and when one has beea appointed to inquire Into any trumpery matter It (a forthwith invested with ezoeedlng importance m the eyes of the public. Bat, leally a simple Inquiry at half the expense, and divested of all Importance supposed to belong to a Royal Commission, would be more beneficial, and oertainly more economical: Perhaps Sir Robert Stout would oall out view " parsimonious," bat however this may be we still think tb»t the people are paying too muoh for the whistle of Royal Commissions. Here are a few samples of the cost of these luxuries: —A. Commission to inqnire into irregularities at the Danedin gaol from 1877 to 1883 cost the oountry £700 ; to Inqalre iato charges made agalatt Dr NelU, as Superintendent of the Seaoliff Asylum oost £225 ; to inquire into the condition of Seaoliff Ayalum building oost £743. So muoh for our end of the colony. What will the taxpayers say of the next itams ? •« To Inquire Into the condition of the unemployed at Obrlstohuroh, £250 "j to Inquire Into the oircamatanoes connected with the purchase of land from Robert Stark at the North Shore, Auckland, £o86"j "to Inquire into applloa i tlona for the removal of restrictions on the alienation of Native lands, £1,658." Surely this lsst matter was a Ministerial doty, yet it was delegated to 'Mr George Eiiott Barton at the above mentioned cost, 'i hen there is Bir William Fox, ; the total oost of a Commission condaotect by him under the West Coast Settlement Aot of 1880 being stated a* £20,459 7s Id. Mark the odd penny, which betokens the accuracy of the ojiargaß.* The inquiry into Old Soldiers' and Volunteero 1 Land Claims oost £550, and the Commissioners who met m June, 1887, to partition out the oolony into eleb'oral district* under the new Aot took £685 17s 4d for their expenses. They met at Wellington, some ' of them being Government on\<sera m full receipt of Balary, and qtherg well paid pensioners. Colonel Haultain, Dr Hislop, aod Mr pobson took £165 eaoh for th«ir Qarviges, and Messrs Sperrey (Property Tax Commissioner) and M'Rertov? (Surveyor General) £78 15a eaqh For what were these permanent officials paid? They wete ajl m reo lpt of pay, and one f a^ls to understand why each or either of iham should have been treated to a.v additional bonne bouche for performing such a simple duty.—." Star."