MR BAVIN’S TRIP ABROAD

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1929, Page 3

MR BAVIN’S TRIP ABROAD

PAYING TITS WAY

SYDNEY, April 12

The Premier (Mr. Bavin) who is making a trip to England to try to restore his lost health is taking unusual political course of paying for it out of his own pocket. If, after such a comparatively brief reign as Premier, he had decided to make the trip, in accordance with political usage, at the expense of the public, and found some trivial public excuse for doing so he would probably have heard about it unfavourably, of course. But lar from being Lauded for bis exemplary action in footing the bill for his jaunt ho has now been told by one of Sydney’s most influential newspapers that in going to England privately at bis own expense, he is pursuing a course unbecoming the head of a Government.

One might, of course, expect other .politicians to hurl a philippic at him on the ground that he is setting a bad precedent in paying for his jaunt. As a matter of hard fact, Dr Bavin might justifiably ask the State to pay for his trip, for he has unquestionably broken his heatlh on the wheel of politics, and, .what is almost as bad, far from satisfied many of the Governments followers in a session fruitful of vei\ little outstanding legislation. Any good the Government might have done has been , largely overshadowed by its taxation, and, from the standpoint of industry, by its impost on wages-sheets for the upkeep of child endowment. Mr Bavin perhaps sometimes sighs For the lot happiness oi’ the days when he confined himself to his lucrative legal practice.