THE PARLIAMENTARY BONUS

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40027, 23 November 1929, Page 1

THE PARLIAMENTARY BONUS

“This) meeting' of the Federation Educational Association,” stated a motion passed at a meeting- of that body at Wellington on Wednesday, “places on record its entire disapproval of the action of the members of Parliament in appropriating to themselves the sum of £6BOO as a bonus, whilst the school commit-' tees of (New Zealand had previously requested the Government to grant an increase to the totally inadequate capitation grants without avail. The action of the members of Parliament in this direction leaves the impression that the cleanliness of the schools and the health of the scholars is merely a secondary consideration, and that the cleaners of the schools can still be employed under ‘sweated conditions’ as long as the members themselves receive, by their own vote, an increase in pay. This meeting appreciates the action of the Right Hon. J. G. Coates and Messrs'Fletcher and Wright in their objection to the payment of the bonus and j\[r. Wright’s assurance that he would not accept it.” One member expressed the-opinion that the chairman (Mr. N. A. Ingrain), who proposed the motion, had been far too moderate in his language.