Legislative Council.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1922, Page 3

Legislative Council.

In tlie course if his speech on the Address-in-Reply last Friday," the Hon. Mr Michel said that there were 113.191 people depending more or loss on tlie Government. 51.000 Civil Servants. 31,300 War Pensions. 19.000 Old Colonist’s Pensions.

3,240 Widows Pensions. 811 Epidemic- Pensions. 840 Maori War Pensions. 7.000 Government Works. This number was equal to say four out of oevery ten of the adult male population. The number of Civil Servants alone (quailed nearly one in five of the adult male population. Those figures were certainly disquieting. Tim pensions, Mr Michel said, should not he reduced hut there would have to bo a reduction in the Departmental Expenditure, as tlie, country was groaning under a burden of taxation most of which was paid by one third of the population. The cry that the Government was reducing wages or salaries was he said, not correct and that even during the stressful va r years the salaries had been automatically raised, and over and above this, the tremendous sum of L; millions had lieen added to the salaries to the Civil Servants by wav of bonuses? These had to ho reduced for the simple reason that The country had not the money to continue them. Referring to tile talk about the lower paid members of the Service having to stand the same rate of “cut" ■is the higher paid officials, he pointed out that most of the former were young people who had not the same responsibilities as the older members of the Service, and that it was the married men with families depending on them who deserved sympathy. Mr Michel went on to say that the action of tlie Government in vctocing the suggestion that tlie P. and T. Department should he allowed to join the “Alliance of Labour” was to he commended, and that had the Government allowed this, it would have ceased to govern and would have forfeited the confidence of the people. In regard to preference to Unionists, he said that this should be retained, but that the unions would have to give efficient labour in return, and abide by the decisions of the Arbitration Court. If they would not do this then preference should go by the hoard. That the country should adopt a system of proportional representation did not commend itself to him.

Such a system would enable two or three weak minorities having no polic> ni common, excepting that they were

against the stronger party, to enter into “unholy alliances”. This, he said would not insure .satisfactory Government. The talk about the present Government not representing the people was not correct. For example he said that In the last general election, the two West Coast seats were not contested by the Government, hut that

all the votes in the two electorates were counted against the Reform Party. As a matter af fact, when the party di,] contest the seats referred to, it polled. ho said, some 6.000 votes out of the 13.000 odd east and that the same thing had occurred in other parts of tlie Dominion.