AUSTRALIA IN LONDON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1873, 5 September 1918, Page 3

AUSTRALIA IN LONDON.

EXPENSIVE ADMINISTRATION. There are some indications that Australians will not view with ‘extreme favour the proposal to establish a Minister in London as a member of the Imperial War Cabinet. The question of expense is the main factor. Each State has its own Agent-General and staff at the Empire's centre, and the Federal Government has a large and highly-paid staff established in Australia House.' Many Australians are asking why another expensive Department should be created in London, and why the functions proposed should not be carried out by a rearranged High Commissionership. There is reason enough for the protest. In 1909 the High Commissioner’s office cost £8,050. In the present year the cost will be £43,000. Last year it was £33,085. A year before the war broke out, when immigration was a live question, a staff of 28 and a total expenditure of £20,205 was sufficient to meet all requirements. Now, when immigrants are conspicuous only by their ahsecneo, there is a stall ot no fewer than 41 officials and an annuil expenditure, as stated, of £43,000. An analysis of the expenditure shows that really enormous sums go under the heading of “stationery, travelling and incidental expenses” something like £l4O per week. The salary list is most striking. The High Commissioner gets £5,000, the official secretary £I,OOO, the assistant secretary £7OO, the publicity officer £6OO, the chief clerk, £SOO the sub-accountant £440, the senior clerk £4OO, the private secretary £3OO, the Supply officer £340, and there are seven messengers, two storemen, two assistant storemen, a controller, and twenty clerks. The salary list alone runs out to over £IO,OOO a year. Australians, naturally enough, are asking what they are getting out of all this in war time. When the High Commissionership was established it was the intention to gradually abolish all‘the AgentGeneralships. Instead, all these rewards for political faithfulness are going strong. They are intensely jealous of the High Commissionership, which they light at every opportunity. They cost altogether £140,000 a year. The Federal Government spent no less than £838,931 on the new Australia House.