JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1920, Page 1

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.)

MEMBERS SALARIES.

WELLINGTON, Sept. 6

When the committee stage of the Civil List Bill is reached, probably this week, members will seek to have the promised honorarium increased from £450 to £SOO. The present payment to members of the House is £3OO a year and there appears to be-a general feeling that the honorarium of £450 proposed by Government is. not adequate especially if some deduction be made for superannuation. The Prime Minister has indicated that lie is willing to take the opinion of the House but no private-member can* move an amendment involving an increase of public expenditure and if the increase to £SOO is to be made, a motion will have to come from Government.. The House can find means, of indicating its desire. The Bill as introduced by Mr Massey does not propose any increase in• the salary of Ministers and the opinion of the House seems to be strongly in favour of an increase. New Zealand’s Ministers are poorly paid in comparison with public men .bolding similar positions in other parts of the world. The Prime Minister stated when he was moving the-second reading of the Bill that Cabinet had decided to leave this question to the House, but hero again the actual motion must come from Government.

BUTTER PRICE.

The Prime-Minister has stated that a committee of■ the House will be set up this week to consider the price of butter in localmarket and make recommendations to Government-. The Committee, whatever its personnel may be, can scarcely a void recommending an increase in the present; maximum-price,- to have effect as soon as the supply-now-held in stores from last session is exhausted. The consumption of butter by the people of New Zealand is at the rate of about twenty pounds per head annually, and the additional subsidy required to maintain the present retail price in the face of the increased export price would be well over £IOO,OOO annually. The Minister for Finance has indicated plainly enough that the Treasury is not prepared to accept added burdens on -this scale. .