THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 82, 6 December 1913, Page 4

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Sir George Reid, the most energetic High Commissioner Australia has ever scut to London, is paid- £3OOO a year, with a house allowance of £2OOO. and ii is an open secret that his official income does not cover the expenditure he lias to incur while representing the Commonwealth in Britain and Europe, says the "Lyttelton Times." Since his recent visit bo Melbourne it has been reported that the Federal Parliament will be asked to double his salary next year, and i-f this should prove to he the case New Zealand probably will ask if its own High Commissioner is adequately paid. "New Zealand occupies a very high position in the estimation and the regard of the British public," says the "British-Australa-j skin," in reference to this matter. "It,

too,, is represented in London by a High Commissioner, who, in the short time since he took office, lias done a great, deal for his country. With a quarter of the population of Australia, the dominion naturally cannot expect' to run things on quite the same scale in London, but, nevertheless, the disparity which already exists between the salary of its High Commissioner and those of other's in this country would, if Sir George Reid's salary were doubled, he exaggerated to an extent demanding serious consideration from tahe Government of -Now Zealand."! New Zealand is handicapped already by the possession of Loudon offices away from the main streams of traffic,! ami certainly should not expect tin". High Commissioner to supplement ani insufficient salary from his own means.!