DO POLITICS PAY ?

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2323, 31 May 1887, Page 2

DO POLITICS PAY ?

The oft propounded question, " are politics profitable ?" is being again advanced (says an English special) apropos of a proposal to grant to Lord Cross, when he retires from the Secretariat of India, a pension of £2000 per annum. It has been pointed out that, as far as Lord Cross is concerned, politics are unquestionably profitable, for during his political career he has received no less than £35,833, with a prospect of £5000 per annum as long as the present Ministry remains in office, and a pension of £2000 for the remainder of J)is Ijfe, In addition to the monetary re\yard§, he has a Grand Cross of the Bath arid a peerage. Mr Gulden's is cited as another example of a politician who has derived substantial profit from liis professipn. His Ministerial allowances total unto £52,000, and his political pension of £20QG —£700 or £SOO of which, by the way, comes out of the pockets of the Victorian taxpayerbrings his receipts from all political, sources close up to £70,000. Mr ShawLeferve pocketed altogether about: £21,000 in Ministerial salaries, and he has a solatium of £1200 a year until something bptfier tprns up. Viscount Craubrook has repejverj for 1 fulfilling the duties q[ member for varioijs administrations i over £43,000 and a peerage, and Mr Gladstone's debit is close up to £ 100,000, while Lord Salisbury's is about £42,000. Of course, there are many of the rank and : file who have not dipped quite so deeply i into the public purse, but - enough has been written to prove that, in some cases at all' events, politics pay remarkably well. " "'