POLITICAL

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1932, Page 2

POLITICAL

TR A V ELL INO EXPENSES

(By Telegraph— Ber Bress Association)

WELLINGTON, April 21

Complaint against the high rate of the Cabinet Alinisters’ expenses was made by Air R. AlcKeen during the long discussion on the wage reduction 5 in the House, early this morning. During the past financial year he said, the Alinisters had spent £11,753 in travelling expenses, and allowances,, and the total amount spent for these purposes in five Departments for that period, was no less than £109,371. The members of the Public Service, he said, had grown used to a system that was responsible for the expenditure of large sums in travelling ex-, penses.

One Minister, said Air AlcKeen, who had taken a taxi for 180 miles during a week-end, had "charged hotel ex-' penses which included the cost of keeping the taxi driver away from Wellington for that per od. The Judges of the Supreme Court and Magistrate’s travelling allowances and expenses had totalled £11,(130 last year, and there was no doubt that the Alinisters of the Crown were making good salaries out of the travelling expenses. Under the Native Land Consolidation expenses, provision was made for two officers, one at Rotorua and the other in North Auckland, these were to be provided with travelling allowances, but, under an explanatory note, the estimates showed that 22 officers were travelling, the total cost being £2,447. Four officers under the Native Land Purchase Board has absorbed a total of £I.OBB in travelling expenses and allowances, or an average of £272 each for the year. One officer in the Native Department had been d’sniissed, but a man. who took his place, was receiving almost as much travelling expenses as the dismissed man’s salary. It was reasonable to expect that, in a time like the present, when everyone was called upon to make sacrifices, reductions should be made in extravagant the travelling allowances, if the Government was going to pursue a policy of economy. Mr AlcKeen said that certain superannuitants had been very well treated. One man had received more in one year -after his retirement, than he had paid into the funds during all his years of service.