Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 1892. Not even on the first of January.

Manawatu Herald, 25 October 1892, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 1892. Not even on the first of January.

-♦- •• Youe old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions " As it was written of old so it is to this day, and the muddle about the Legislative Council appointments afford the instance. The Post with its careful eye upon the colony's exchequer led off with a regret that the appointments had been made so soon after the rising of parliament as it would necessitate the payment of the salaries to the new members months before they did anything in exchange for it. This view of the case seemed to those not personally interested a reasonable one, but, as might have been expected, was •\eheniently opposed by the 7Y»ze«the organ of the Ministry. In the course of an article the last mentioned paper made the following remarks " the ingenious gentleman who started this canard on its voyage through the air of politics forgot that the Payment of Members Bill does not come into operation until next New Year's Day. Until then, therefore, the new Councillors will draw no salai ies, because there will be no salaries for them to draw. It is, of course, right that they should begin to receive their pay in January next instead of waiting for the session, because otherwise they would not get the £150 next year, which the law recognises to be their proper remuneration. It would not be fair to ask them to do the whole session's work for half a year's pay. In the end the cost will be exactly the same to the country. The Councillors hold office for seven years. The sooner, therefore, they begin to draw their pay, the sooner they will cease to do so." 'he Times evidently meant to be reproving, accurate, and explanatory/but, like Ministers, unfortunately has failed. The facts are very different, as the Councillors will only hold office for seven years from the date of their being gazetted and therefore at whatever time their pay actually commences, there is no condition that they are to draw seven years pay, even by the Times own showing. However there are other surprising errors, made by both the two newspapers and also, so it I would seem, by the Ministry. To those who have been gazetted to the £150 a year, the fact will come as an | ugly jar, to those who have " just missed it " the knowledge that the £150 a year will not mean £1050, but some £75 less, will be a trifle to break the edge of keenest disappointment. The limes having mentioned the Payment of Members Act, without studying its contents, caused the Pout to look more closely into it, and it reports " It appeai-s that after all, the new Legislative Councillors will not be able to draw any pay until Parliament meets. By the fourth section of the Payment of Members Act the payment only commences | from the date on which a member takes his seat " As the Acts, as amended, are not

yet in the hands of the public we can only accept the statement' of our ] contemporary the Post as being . correct. The mistake appears to have arisen from the legislation ( rufhed through in the early morning hours, and had it affected the j members of the House we should ; not have much regretted it. The , delay is making the payment until the new Councillors are able to take their seats appears niost proper, but the action of the government in , placing the " labour " Councillors in the awkward position of holding a public position without the means of ; living up to it, appears a piece of carelessness which proves how little the true labourer is understood by them. By the Disqualification Act is seems that one new Councillor will have to give up his employment under government and shift tor himself the beßt way he can for the next six months !