Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, '08. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9066, 5 February 1908, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 'OB. EDITORIAL NOTES.

NO effort is being spared by Ministers to create an impression that the work they do for the State is too heavy, and that their number must be increased. The return of the Hon. Hall-Jones gave a great opportunity for encouraging this belief, as well as for a public performance by the Ministerial Mutual Admiration Society. But the holiday tour of the Hon. Hall-Jones has shown that he was not seriously injured by the work , and so far as he is personally concerned, we are glad to learn that he has fully recovered from his recent illness. But Ministers would probably enjoy better health if they confined themselves to doing the real work of their positions, and did not seek recreation in banqueting at Lib-Lab festivities, or if they did not overwork themselves in electioneering and stumping the country to endeavour to convince the people that they are the only persons who can be entrusted with the management of public affairs. As to the work attached to Ministerial office that is probably the lightest under the sun, always provided that the Minister is capable, is not meddlesome, and is able to trust and rely on his subordinates. And it is well-paid work, and in place ofjjwhining for sympathy, those who are fortunate enough to be in possession of place, pay, [and power, should thank providence for its beneficence.

REFERRING to Mr McNab’s piteous appeal for sympathy at Ohakune, Christchurch Truth remarks: —The scene must have been really touching, and the mind calls up a picture of sad-eyed co-operatives furtively using their sleeves to prevent their tears splashing on the floor as Mr McNab told his harrowing tale about the mortality amongst Ministers. Apparently it is only paralleled by the" mortality amongst infants in those towns that do not boast of

humanised milk depots. According to this humourless Scot, who draws £IOOO a year and travelling expenses for the work.he does between trips to Ohakune and other places, if the death-rate ; was gas high amongst miners or sailors as it is amongst Cabinet Ministers Parliament would have to legislate to cope with the evil. When Mr MoNab takes to perpetrating this kind of thing we are tempted to regret that Ministerial office is not even more fatal. Had he made the comparison with managers of industrial concerns, drawing a similar salary, there might have been some point about it, but even then it would have been misleading, because the Minister has an under-secretary and a shoal of permanent officials to screen his incapabilities and do all the things that he doesn’t care to do himself. Coincident with this movement to increase the Ministry we notice a recurrence of the suggestion that Members of Parliament belong to the overworked and underpaid brigade, and if there are no protests from the public we shall find the country not only saddled with one or two more Ministers, but it will probably be giving further encouragement to the professional politician by a substantial rise in the honorarium. For a small community of a million souls we do pretty well by our legislators. The Premier is paid £I6OO year, the Minister for Railways £1200; there are six others at £IOOO, plus allowances, in addition to 80 members of the Lower House and 45 members of the Upper at £3OO and £2OO a gyear respectively. As to the cry of overwork being raised by Ministers, if they would wean themselves of the habit of rushing all over the country, attending every little tinpot function where there is likely to be a reporter, and stick to their departmental duties, there is no reason connected with their work why they should not live to a rips old age.