THE M.P. AND THE COMMON VOTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 6

THE M.P. AND THE COMMON VOTER.

* The cynics have been wrong all this time. The average M.P. is not a shrewd, cold-hearted _ fellow fully conversant with the simple likes and dislikes of the common voter. He is an idealist—a trustful and innoccnt lamb. So at least wc must conclude from the naive # little_ discussion with which the consideration of the Estimates opened in the House'yesterday, when a series of earnest speeches were made in support of the claim for various extra privileges and emoluments for members of Parliament. ]'or members would not have so boldly demanded these privileges and emoluments if thev had not fancicd that the common voter simply aches for a chance to open his pocket for the greater profit and comfort of the legislators. It. is essential that members shall, for their own sakes, be made to realise the brutal fact, that the common voter, embittered by uis

memories of "the £40 steal" and "the £60 steal." is most firmly persuacbd that the M.P. is pretty well off. The most delightfully impudent demand was Mil. Laukenson's : he wants the public to pay shorthand writers to assist him with his correspondence. Mn. Gr.ovEß; who goes in for telegrams, especially telegrams to Ministers, wants to bo able to flood the wires free of cost to anyone but the common voter. Mn. Hanan simply wants a bigger salary so as to indulge in all tho delights of the higher life without his honorarium sinking even to £299 19s. llfd. net; and Mn. Lauhenson deplores the depletion of his hard-earned political wages_ by subscriptions and all sorts of things. It seems to us, and it seems to the common voter, that honorarium is provided partly to reimburso the members for these very expenses. The Government is also urged to provide that such members shall be able, at the'cost of the common voter, to distribute, also at the cost of the common voter, a hundred copies of every number of Hansard. Why should members be presented with free copies of Hansard for distribution at all'/ They do not send the pink booklets to the poor and needy, or the sick and suffering; and anyone who can afford twopence a week, and who feels like spending it on Hansard, should be required to pay it. Mr. Buick was right: if 2s. 6d. were charged for Hansard it would be better read. The public will understand that the discussion was tils beginning, of a new movement, led apparently by ex-Min-isters, to take a little more out of the common voter's pocket for the benefit of the M.P. :