MEMBERS' SALARIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 6, 2 October 1920, Page 8

MEMBERS' SALARIES

CIVIL LIST BILL IN COMMITTEE

GOVERNMENT PROPOSES ADDITIONAL INCREASES

When tho Civil List Bill, dealing with the salaries of Ministers nnd members, was reached in the House of llepresentatives last night, some amendments wero presented, embodying tho decisions' cf tho Government as to tlio new rates. Tho amendments proposed higher rates of pay than had been suggested in tho original Bill, but did not go as far as tho joint Parliamentary committee had gone in the matter of increases.

The rates of pay proposed in tho amending olause9 wore as follow, th<> present salaries being given in parentheses: Speaker of Legislative Council, ,£BOO (£600). Chairman of Committees of Legislative Council, JMSO (£300). Speaker of Houso of Representatives, .€IOOO (£800). Chairman of Committees of House, £700- (£500). Members of the Council, .£350 (.£200). Members of the House, £500 (£300). Tho Prime Minister, .£2OOO (XIGIW). Ten other Ministers, each .£I3OO (£1000). Maori member of Executive Council, £1000 (£800). •„ The amendments \ provided that all these increases • should date from Juno 30, 1920.' ' /T Th? Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) thought that the' increase should i start from an earlier date. Mr. Wilford (Hutt) suggested that tlio inorease should dato from the time of election. The proposal for an increase l;ad been put fairly before the, electors at the timo of the general election, and nobody had objected, since the increase was fair- arid reasonablo. Mr. Glenn (Rartgitikei) announced that lie. intended to oppose any increase, and to. divide tho Houso on , the subject. Members had been preaching economy, and now they were taking the first opportunity to help themselves to public monoy. Members: Cheap popularity! Mr Luke (Wellington North) declared that no member mado any profit, but a good many members lost money. He disputed the right of the Government to depart from the recommendations of the ioint committee that had considered tho salaries questions. The matter was one for the House, not foe the Government. Mi\ Massey: I can't agree with that. The Government takes the responsibility Much discussion followed on the idea of dating the increase back to tho general election. ; Members were heard on- both sidea, though the majority of members evdently favoured moro 'retrospection than the Government had proposed.

Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller) supported the proposal to increase tho salaries to ,£SOO from the dato of the election. If there was any difficulty about making the increase go further back than the beginning of the financial year, he thought it should at least go back as far as the beginning 1 of the financial vear. Mr. Massey considered it was unfortunate that members had to fix their own salaries. The fact, however, made it necessary for them to- exercise the greatest care to do nothing but what was just and reasonable. The superannuation idea had appeared to bo impracticable. There were, however, at least half-a-dozen ex-members for whom some provision Would have to bo made during the session. Such provision could not be made in the Bill, but he had ideas regarding the way in which it might be mado later on. -He would bo prepared to accept an amendment making the iiv creases date from April 1. Members O' the Public Service had been granted increases that wero retrospective to Anrn 1 and he did not seo why members of Parliament" should place themselves in .i worse position. Eventually, Mr. Massey withdrew tl 6 clause, with an understanding that nt would later propose to date tho inciease back to April 1. . The remaining clauses of tho Bill went ■through with tho amendments proposed :W the Government.' 'The Prime Minister said that at present the Minister of he. happened to be. received X3OU Mr annum for his work in that capa After the passage of the Bill tho -300 would no longer be paid.. It geneia.n happened that tho -portfolio 0 f Railways fell to the Prime Mimster. Process was reported at 11.40 P.m.. and tho House adjourned.