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Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1932, Page 4

Frdkhation is a -costly machine for Australia, Awarding to the return for last year the cost of GovA'nmo-r.t for the Commonwealth and States, was £1,275,003. 'Six years previously the cost was £990,000. The figures include the Vice-regal establishments, ministers, parliaments, commissioners, committees etc. Thbre are in all sevep sets of parliament—Feder .1 and States (Queeiusljn'hili New Sou tin »Vales, Victorian, . South Australia. Western Australia.; and "Tasmania). . -The members of parliament-are well, paid, par 7 ticularly federal, £IOOO a year, and New South Wales £7CO. There •/:> is talk now of economies, and P«y is likely-to be reduced all round. According to the remarks at the late Premiers’ Conference, if economy is to be made, ’ the parliamentary machines in particular should be overhauled, [n order to help relieve unemployment special financial arrangements have been made with tire Commonwealth Bank but it is expected the money will be inadequate to cover the. whole situation.-. As a consequence there is a proposal for a revival loan, financed by the payments of the unemployment tax, but this will suffice-ocdy for interest, 'and the capital, charge will remain. A Sydney paper realises something of tire position into which the country is .drifting, when it remarks:. “How, much . unemployment costs in loss of production, in reduced national efficiency, and in the determination of fclffi 4 SiFeinpKiylheatV has ’not been calculated.” It then comfiients on the money loss, and for the* little return for the money spent. These thoughts might well be applied to the experience In' New Zealand,’ It is time the situation was more completely realised and efforts innde to secure more in turn for the expenditure, Much of the expenditure returns no national benefit, and the; time is at hand when the mode should be' altered. There ere many national; which could be undertaken by.;organising the avn/lahlf labour. The, past system of leaving the organisation, largely to local bodies have exhausted useful work in their localities. A fresh -system should be established by the State under its works machinery, and labour organ-ised-in Mg battalions 1 for work of a national character .in development, work,