SMALLER PARLIAMENTS WOULD SAVE £43,000

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 4, 27 August 1931, Page 6

SMALLER PARLIAMENTS WOULD SAVE £43,000

» ADDRESS BY MR KIGING MOiRE^ BUSINESS AND > LESS GOYERNMENT. SIGNIFICIENT PIGURES. The difflcult period through whieh New Zealand is. passing has caused serious considefation to be given to the question of redjuoing the, membership of the Legislaiive Gouncil and Ihe House of 'Representatives, on the score of econ'omy and greater efflciency, states a hulletin issued by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand. The matter has' now heen ventilated on the floor of the House, which shows that politicians lhemselves are becoming alive to-the advisihility of -a reduction in the number of New Zealand's legisiators. A change in the c.onstitution oi Parliament has heen advoeated before now by the Associated Chambers, whose • suggestions on the subject have heen conveyed to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition aiub the Leader of the Labour Party. These suggestions are that so far as the Legislative .'Council is concerned, no new appointments and no re-appoint-ments of members whose terms of office'expire should be made so long as the number of members of the council exceeds twenty. Th-is would in Lime effect an appreciable economy, but ihe saving would be small in comparison with that to be gained hy a reduction in membership of the House o Representatives. At present tbe House comprises 7'5 members representing, European electorates nnd four representing Maori electorates. It is not proposed to alter the number of members representing Maori electorates, nor is it intended that any alteration 'should be made in the application to districts of.the licensing laws. It is proposed that ihe number of members representing European electorates be reduced by half- — that is, to 38. This could be achieved at the elections this year by each member being elected to represent an area to be arrived at by eombining two of tbe present electorates. As the number of existing Europeao electorates in each island is an odd number, oue of the new constituencies will need to comprise one of the existing eleploral districts in the North sland and one in the South Island. Phere is no real objection. to the dection of a member by a constituency utuated partly in the North Island and partly in the Soutli Island. Great Barrier Island is at present included in ;n electorate comprising also part uf the North Island. Stewart Island is included in an electorate comprising also part of the South Island, and the Chatham Islands are in a similar position. The communication between the North and South Islands hy way oi .acton is excellent, and each part of an electorate divided hv Cook Straii 'ould easily be attended to& by one member. Gommunieations genevaLly have greatly improved sincc the present number of members represent.'.ng European electorates was fixed in 1900. E/lethod of Procedure. The melhod of prpeedure proposed is that Ihe grouping of electorates be done hy the two representative commissions already constituted under the Electoral Act, 1927.- The North Island and South Island Commissions utting together could defme the new divided electbrate, and then, sepacite.'y, group in twos the remaindei of he existing electoral districts in their respective islands. In this way Hie wbole matter can be adjusled in •ime for ihe forthcoming elections, •nd the grouping so flxed can remair. in force until the next census. The savings io be effected by the reconstltution of Parliament on the lines sug-

gested will not merely be the salaries and incidental expenses of 38 members of Parliament. There will also be a large saving by reason of shortei sessions and improved efflciency generally in tbe conduct of the business of ihe House. It may reasonahly he expected that the length of a session wiil be half. Parliament in session to-day 'osts £1 a minute, so that the saving will be considerabie. Still further economies should be made by the consequent reduction of the worlc o1 certain Government departrnents. If members of Parliament Lhemselves will not carry into effect a re•onsiiiut'on of their numbers, tiien a reforendum could he tahen. rollowing js a conservative estlmate of the larger savings to be effected ! :be proposed reduction in membership of the Ilqhse of Representatives. Raiaries.- — Lower House: (a) iightv members now receive £415 per innum, two of thein receiving additional emoluments as holders of oftices of Speaker and Ghairman of Commiitees. Uisregarding thesb lat!er and also Miuisters' salaries £1,131 pius £180 house allowance) whieh includ'cs honoraria as members, the saiary cost is £33,200. Salaries of members would amount to £15,770, .•cpresenting a saving oi £17,430. (b) incidental expenses — both Houses (voted 1930-31): Railway oasMis and eoncessions to member■nd ex- members of , Legislature, am'lies. elc„ £25,035; sLeamer pasages- m.einlKTs, £1,200; stearner • p'lssagci's — wives, £200; sleepingiierihs — members, £1,100; railway iounge sea'.s — memljei's, £150; lounge uals and sleeping berths — wives, £ 1 5s) ; refund to Post (Jllice, being iiiVe.i'eui e between cost of special and nnlbury - tc'egrams, £1,200 — total £29,035. "Estimated saving, £15,000. Saiing in sessional expenses: It Is probabie that the session would he hortened by upwahds of a half. -alaries % of permanent (minimum) dal'fs of Bellamys (approximately £3,000) and Ilansard (approximately £0,000) \ypuld not normally be

affected. For 1930-31: £4,000 was voted for ussiona1 messengers; £1,000 for exva clerks; £1,1)00 for extra staff for de'lamys, esliniated saving, £3,500; £5,500 was voted for printing of ilansard, estimated saving, £2,000; £2,000 was voted for fuel, power,' dghting aud water. Saiaries — Legisiative Council. (a) yiiirty-iive members at present. Normal strengih approximately, 40, ihough it has reaclied nearly 50 in the pasl. A reduction to 20, preserving the normal ra tio with the Lower House, vould effect a saving of £4,252 (each memlior receives £283 10s per aniiuin). General Electicn. (b) Cost in 1928, apart from licensing poll (£13,000) was approximately £57,000. Of this amount, £30,000 was alloeated for the preparation and printing of electoral rolls. The balance included the cost of the establishment of polling booths, advertising, ' ballot papers, postage and telegrams, remuneration of returning officers- and poll clerks. Saving might be stated (spread annualiy) at £1,000. The total annual' saving by rcducing members to 39 and 20 in the House of Representatives and Legislative Council respectively, would be, on the hasis of the' foregoing caiculations, approximately £43,000.