PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 509, 20 November 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

COST OF SECOND BAUDOTS

A return moved for by Mr Massey with reference to the cost of administering the Scond Ballot Act, up to September 30, 1909, was presented to the House on Thursday. The figures given in respect of each district in which a second ballot has been held were as follows: — >

General election, >I9OB ; Waitemata, £358 ns id; Ohiuemuri, £285 os 6d ; Bay of Plenty, £416 18s 2d ; Gisborne, £304 14s 8d ; Hawke’s Bay, £327 9 s tua, £276 16s rod ; Egmont, £212 18s rod; Wanganui, £239 19s gd ; Palmerston, £251 9s 7d ; Mauawatu, £236 15s ; Wellington North, £289 3s 5d ; Wellington East, £258 5s ?d; Wellington South, £264 los 8d ; Wellington Suburbs, £371 xis 8d ; Nelson, ,£26393 3d; Huruuui, £l9B 19s 3d ; Avon, £336 15s ; Ashburton, £235 12s ; Geraldine, £305 6s 2d ; Timaru, £262 9s 4<i; Tuapeka, £306 15s xod ; Chalmers, £203 15s gd ; Dunedin North, £267 3s 7d ; total, £6474 ns 3d. Second ballots, 1909: Thames, £341 2s 3d ; Rangitikei, £269 18s 1 id, total, £6ll is 2d; Grand total, £7085 12S sd. INDEPENDENT LABOUR PARTY. A large number of members of the House are being circularised by the Dominion Executive of the Trades and Labour Councils in connection with the proposed formation of an Independent Labour party. Members are asked to answer the following questions :

(1) Are you in favour of an Independent Labour party in the present House of Representatives ?

{2) If so are you willing to make an effort to form such a party ? (3) And under what conditions ?

The platform of the proposed party, which is said to be in process of formation, is embodied in the Trades and Labour Council’s report for the present year.

PROPOSAL FOR REDUCTION OF GOVERNOR’S SALARY.

A radical proposal was made by Mr T. E. Taylor, member for Christchurch North, in the House of Representatives last evening. He said that in view of the recent retrenchment he had intended to move for the reduction of the salary of his Excellency the Governor by £2OOO a year, to bring his salary down to what it was “when, in a moment of folly, this country, with more money than it knew what to do with, threw him £2OOO in addition to what be was getting before.” The Governor’.s salary was then raised from £3OOO to £SOOO. He did not see why he should not stand in tight times with the whole population, and have his expenditure cut down with that of so many others. He found, however, that the only way to find out if the House were in favour of asking his Excellency to come into line with the people for whom he had presumably a regard was by the introduction of of a Bill. He would ask leave next sitting day to introduce a Bill to reduce the Governor’s salary from £SOOO to £3OOO. (Laughter.) When the Governor's salary vs as previously increased, Mr Taylor added, there was not a tittle of evidence to show that he was underpaid or sweated.