THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1908. AN UNSALARIED LEADER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9116, 16 June 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1908. AN UNSALARIED LEADER.

The dullness of existence in Greytown will be temporarily dispelled on the 24th inst, when Sir Joseph Ward will deliver a speech in that town, and thereby hearten up the Government supporters of the Wairarapa electorate. Ministers generally appear to have "a holy horror" of Masterton, and the reason for the very plain manner in which thc-y avoid this town and district is a little difficult to explain lucidly. However, the Premier will, no doubt, be greeted by a packed house, as he should be, and the speech will probably be exceptionally interesting. It is right and proper that the Premier should go

round the country and address gatherings on the political questions of the day. Nasty critical people, might say that Sir Joseph is simply electioneering, and that he has, practically, been doing nothing jlse for some time past, and they might, also, dwell upon the fact that the Premier travels round at the taxpayers' expense. But all such criticisms are j not to be entertained. In this Dominion there arj surpluses, and we like the Premier to travel, north, south, east and west, and tell the people all about the wonderful surpluses, the high cost of living, and the heavy taxation that we, with our marvellously buoyant revenue, have to put up with. There are, by the way, people who would rather hear Mr Massey than Sir Joseph Ward, but the former, sar 1 to relate, does not have his expenses paid for him by the country. It is, also, a fact that Mr Massey is the

recognised Leader of a very large party in the country, although the number of his followers in the House be but few. The foregoing observations call to mind the fairness of the principle of paying the Leader of the Opposition a salary as is the custom in Canada. It should not be so large as that received by the Premier—say, half the amount, and then the Leader of the Opposition would have a tolerably respectable income. There is, no doubt, that the present Opposition, small party as it is, has done a good deal of good, and impartial Government members probably admit the fact. We must confess that we ure completely at variance with some of what Mr Massey describes as "planks" in his. policy, but, nevertheless, we should favour paying a salary to the Leader of the Opposition, even if we disagreed with all his political principles. Such a proposal would come well from the Premier. In a sporting country, such as New Zealand, a Premier who introduced a proposition in the direction referred to would be almost worshipped. We suggest, however, that the matter might be taken up by the Labour Party -it is a party that is always opposed to injustice, and especially to that form of injustice that takes the shape of under payment for services rendered.