MEMBERS AND THEIR HONORARIUM.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1278, 7 September 1880, Page 3

MEMBERS AND THEIR HONORARIUM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — The session of 1880 has at length closed and the representatives of the people are returning to a well-earned (?) repose. A few remarks will, I think, be not out of place on the subject of members and their pay. During the last 14 months a sum of £50,400 has been paid to members, in the shape of honorarium. The question that naturally comes uppermost in the mind of the taxpayer is, what have members done as an equivolant ? It is, doubtless, a very mercenary way of looking at the thing, but these pay-docking and tax-paying days beget a mercenary spirit, and people will ask these, perhaps impertinent questions. Let each of us take a small scrap of paper (the least bit will do) and jot down the great and glorious advantages that are assured to the country by this expenditure. I, for my part, wish to be candid and fair, and will give credit for the best intentions, even if they don't appear on the surface. Had we not the great and glorious privelege of reading, for I don't know how long, the speeches of Jack, Tom, and BaiTy, on the all ab- i sorbing question of no-confidence in the Grey Ministry, the consequent dissolution, and the general elections, estimated to have cost the country £70,000. And then had we not the pleasure, after an interval of six weeks, of reading fresh speeches, with nothing fresh about them, on the stale old question of noconfidence in — well, upon my word, I forget who this time, no matter tho. Then had we not to witness the dignified and scrupulous endeavors on the one side to retain, and on the other side to oust from office. All these advantages sink into insignificen.ee alongside of the crowning victory to which they led up, viz... that great and glorious palladium for all our woes past and future, manhood suffrage, and triennial parliaments, and so toe session of "79 came to {an end. I may perhaps mention by the way, not as a matter of any importance tho, that some one made an assertion that the country had considerably out run the constable, and that affairs financially were slightly rotten, however, he was treated with the contempt he so richly deserved, and I hope you will pardon me, Mr Editor, for mentioning so trivial an episode among the stupendous questions above enumerated. The session of 1880 calls for only passing notice in the matter of importance, with the one brilliant exception of the u=ual no-confi-dence motion, which took about a month to settle satisfactorily; that over, and there being no palladium before the country naturally members began to get bored, especially as there was said to be no money to make railways, &c, several members still ignorantly presisting that affairs were financially up a tret, rendering a beer and property tax inevitable. There are some, let us hope only a few tho, that even these great questisns took, well, just a little long to decide, and the advantages were a little dearly bought at the price. I have a natural aversion to asking questions calculated to embarrass, but I cannot help asking the Hon. M.H.R's individually and collectively whether they honestly think they have fairly earned so fair a wage as £50,400 in fourteen months ? — 1 am, &0., Pakiki.