WHY M.'S. FALL INTO DEBT.

Shannon News, 16 February 1926, Page 2

WHY M.'S. FALL INTO DEBT.

(By Leslie Hore-Belisha, M.P.) "The common history cf all men of modest possessions in public life is a never-ending- struggle with debt." Mr. Ransay Mas Donald. Is the indictment true? It is levelled either against the State on the "round that the private conduct of their affairs is wanton. , If it be the duty o ith e State — which is Questionable —to protect the elected representatives of the people from financial enxieties caused by tho demands made on their banking accounts as a rssult.o fthe work which they do for the nation, then the State plainly fails to discharge its obligations. It pays its Prime Minister £3500 a year after income tax has been de-. ducted, an dno one could live in pomp and circumstnace on that. In quiettude and retirement the sum would be respectable, but Prime Ministers are not expected ti live in this way. The presant Prime Minister has told us that ho is living on his capital, to which many will retort that he is fortunate to have, a capital on Avhich to live. Mr. Lloyd George, fortunately not so wealthy as he Avas, h e cannot attaribute his losses to his tenancy reclines in opulence. As for Mr. Ramsay MacDonald him-' self, he is reputed to be surviving in moderate luxury such difficulties as he may haA-e experienced in power. In order to justify his case, he has to go back to the time of Walpple, who left at his death a mortgaged estate and debts amounting to £40,000; to Chatham. avlio Avas commitments the nation discharged on his decease at a cost of £20.000,• to Pitt, whose surviving creditors relied on the national bounty for the £40,000 which his bankrupt affairs could not provide. It is the conscientious member of Parliament Avho, A\dthout Avorldy possessions, has to spare and scrape. His postage bill alone may come to any thing between 15s and 30s a Aveek. The actual writing or dictating of th e replies Avill consume at least tvvo hours every morning. The thought which he must gi\'e and th e personal intercessions h e must make in order to give assistance requested for him to attend t ohis own business. The .sittings of the hours daily. His salary was not raised with thei ncrease in the cost of living. It is still pre-Avar So are the salaries of Ministers.