THE FEDERAL THUNDERBOLT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 418, 17 May 1902, Page 2

THE FEDERAL THUNDERBOLT.

POVERTY ON .£IB,OOO A-YEAR, SYMPATHY OF PUBLIC MEN. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright’ Molbourne, May 16. Lord Hopetoun has been flooded with messages of rogret from public men and holies throughout tho Commonwealth. From the first it would appear that tho Governor-Goneral believed the position to be endowed with provision sufficient to uphold reasonable liberality. As one of the great Imperial posts, ho considers it impossible to reasonably uphold it on less than £IO,OOO a year, with £BOOO allowances ; that under the terms of the programme as first propounded it was most purely administrative, without administrative power, but the result is that the Governor-Genoral occupies in tho eyes of tho people a lesser position than did the former Governor of tho colonies. It now transpiros that alter tho recent debate in tho House on Lord Hopetoun’s Establishment Bill, tho Federal Premier and Treasurer interviewed and frankly informed Lord Hopetoun of their opinion that Parliament would not in future en* tortain tho idea of granting any allowance whatever.

It is stated that Lord Hopetoun was careful throughout not to give the Cabinet a hint of his intentions, and Mr Barton receives the first nows of his resignation on reaching Colombo.

SALARIED MEN ADVOCATE EXTRAVAGANCE. By Telegraph—Press Association— * Copyright. LONDON, May 16. Mr-Copeland, the Agent-General, interviewed, stated that New South Wales was informed prior to Lord Hopetoun’s departure for Australia, that considerable additional allowances would be required if the establishments of the Governor-General were to be maintained in Sydney and Mr Tozer, the Queensland AgentGeneral, said that the refusal of the House of Representatives to grant the money requisite to maintain tiie position, was a slur on the representative ■•stitution of the Commonwealth, and would be interpreted as evidence of a want of prosperity.

NECESSARY EXPENSE OR COURTLY POMP .? LORD. HOPETOUN ADAMANT^ By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. LONDON, May 16, Lord Balfour, of Burleigh, is mentioned as likely to succeed Lord Hopetoun.

The Times earnestly hopes that the means will be found to retain Lord Hopetoun. It adds that it is difficult to surmise grounds for a refusal of adequate emoluments for the Gover-nor-General. Ten thousand pounds is not, it states, nearly sufficient to provide necessary expenses, even with' a fixed residence. If the policy o£ cutting salaries is carried much further, the colonies cannot hope to find competent Governors, the choice being already limited to those able and willing to freely spend their own fortunes> . The Daily News says that Mr Chamberlain ought to encourage the Governors to adopt a standard of living likely to win the approbation of a deImocratic community which does not care for courtly pomp.