The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1888. THE HONORARIUM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1704, 28 February 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1888. THE HONORARIUM.

About a week ago Mr H. S. Fish, M.H.B. for Dunedin South, addressed his constituents. At the conclusion of his address a resolution was carried condemning the reduction of the members’ honorarium, and as a protest against it he was handed a purse of 61 sovereigns. His constituents have thus made up his honorarium to the usual sum, and at the same time shown their decided disapproval of the reduction of the honorarium, In acting thus the electors of Dunedin South deserve the thanks of the democracy of New Zealand, The object the Atkinson party had in view in reducing the honorarium and the number of members was to keep the making of the laws in the hands of rich men. This is proved by the fact that when the honorarium question was under discussion in Parliament the Liberals offered the Government to take off their own honorarium a sum which would reduce it to the amount which the Government proposed to allow. They said in effect “ Take £6O a year off the honorarium of the present members of Parliament, but let the members of next Parliament arrange about their own honoraria.” Nothing could be fairer than this. The Liberals showed their willingness to make personal sacrifices so far as they were concerned themselves, but "they refused point blank to disregard one of the first principles of democracy, viz., “ That men who work for the State have a right to he paid by the State.” In our knowledge of the Parliamentary history of New Zealand we know of no incident that reflects more credit on the human nature of politicians than this. We regret to say that hitherto our representatives were more frequently guided by selfish considerations than high aims and political principles, hut this offer made by the Liberal party to the Government last session was a noteworthy exception to the general rule, and it is only right they should get credit for it. But how did the Government receive this offer? Major Atkinson said “ No ; the Government has decided to fix the honorarium permanently at £l5O a year.” It is übvious, therefore, that so for as this and the reduction of the number of members was concerned, the principal object the Government had in view was to crush democracy in this colony by rendering it impossib e for poor men to enter Parliament, and the action of the electors of Dunedin South is a timely and effective protest against this insidious attempt that has been made upon the people’s privileges. Mr Fish is the first member who has addressed his constituents, and an excellent example has been set by the electors of that district to all New Zealand.

It lias been frequently said that £l5O a year is enough for the three months members have to be in Wellington This is an absurd and stupid way of looking at it. First of all, very few men ever get elected to Parliament whose election expenses do not exceed the first year’s honorarium. In many instances the expenses of hotly contested elections amount up to from £SOO to £IOOO. In these cases much more than the member receives goes away in paying bis election expenses, yet when people talk they never take these matters into consideration. It is hardly possible for any man to go into Parliament without spending his first year’s honorarium, and thus he has to work the first year for nothing. Next, every poor man has some business to look after, and in becoming a member of Parliament he undoubtedly sacrifices it to a certain extent. For instance, Mr Turnbull is an auctioneer in Timaru, and in consequence of having to absent himself in attending to his Parliamentary duties he has had to secure the services of Mr Maslin, of Geraldine, to conduct his sales for him. Only for having to attend to his Parliamentary duties Mr Turnbull could have conducted his own business, and secured to himself all the profits of it, but now a share of it must go to Mr Maslin, and that share will in all probability be as much as the honorarium Mr Turnbull receives At any rate it can be seen readily that Mr Turnbull cannot make a profit out of it, and most poor men are similarly circumstanced. Besides this, whenever there is a collection set on foot the member for the district is appealed to, and owing to the position he occupies he cannot well refuse, nor can he put down his name for less than £l, He must attend meetings in all parts of his district and be often away from home, and frequently incur expenses which no one has any knowledge of, and yet people who never tlunk of those things say that £l5O is enough and £2OO too much. In uur humble opinion £3OO would not be too much, and it would be far better fur us to pay that sum than the £l5O, becaqsp we would then get a better class of

members than wo do at present. But the misfortune is that very few think over these things, and when the election comes on, they can be gulled into voting without knowing exactly what for. The action of Dunedin South is very well calculated to draw public attention to this matter, and awaken democracy to the danger which is threatening it. "Without doubt the next election will see a vast majority of rich men returned to Parliament, and their policy will be to abolish Triennial Parliaments and disfranchise persons who have no property, and then we shall have New Zealand reduced to sheep-walks, owned by a few companies. It is just about what the people deserve.