PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2976, 11 August 1891, Page 3

PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

» TO THK ICIUTOK. Silt,—Mr Bari'Kli, in his last letter on this subject, does not agree with the idea of a member supplementing the amount of his pay us such by ruttirninj* to manual labour or even trning in search "f such. Presumably, he does not attich any dignity to labour, unless such can bo performed without muscular exertion. X>m% I still hold that ,fl")0 per annum is quite enough to pay any member whether ho belong to the working or any other class, for thu time hu .spends in Wellington; and, moreover, that it is ample to keep a working-man and his family the whole year round, even should he olect to loaf for the nine months at his disposal between the sessions of Parliament. Mr Banish could not well have considered his argument. It is not thought degrading for a merchant, a lawyer, or a manufacturer to return to their several occupations, and surely it cannot be thought more derogatory for a vvnrking-man to return to the calling whereby he gained his livelihood before he became a legislator— whether it be bootmaking, lamp-lighting, street-corner-agitatinpr, or what not. Cincinnatus, when called from the plough to assume the position of Dictator at Rome, returned to his farm, when his political duties were concluded, and it was not considered undignified for him to do so. To cite a more modern instance, that Liberal-mouthed politician of our own day, Mr H. S. Fish, of Dunedin, suffers no loss of dignity when ho returns to his paintpots, boiled oil and putty; in fact, it in thought by many he would gain more honour as a painter than as a politician. I have not a very exalted opinion of the chnractcr of the labour members of the present House, but still I was not prepared to go so far in their condemnation as Mr Banish, when he presumes that wore, the honorarium not raised as prn. poaed they would possibly hf> " run in " as vagrants linvjnp m> lawful visible, means of support. The reference which Mr Barngli makes to the Newcastle miners pnytner Mr Burt, their member, the sum of t'3oo per annum—to which ha makes allusion in support of his argument in favour of tho increase of pay to our members—is not a happy (mo. A T o valid objection could be made to constituents subscribing the amount of their member's salary, and it would betoken a mor-i patriotic spirit unions-it electors thau the system of pay now in Were such a system proposed, however, we would find that those who eried out the loudest nppinst it were what are known as the "true" Liberals—a party who, as a class, have, directly, ontribute.rl nothing to the colonial exchequer under the Property Ta.s, and who are also likely to escape scot free when the incidence of taxation i.s changed and a Land Tax introduced. This is one of tha chief causes for thu prodigality displayed by the party referred to. So long as the pay of members is taken from the colonial coffers, to which the thuk Liberals add nothing except through the Custom House., they arein favour of abstracting as much as pes>.|blo ; were an appeal made directly to their mvn pockets it would be a ''horse of quite another olnur. , ' When Mr Banish fays, he cannot agree with me ns to the enormous cost of our Civil Service-ridden Government, I cannot understand him. In neither of my former letters have I touched on the Civil S.'ni"e finther than to .«ay while liillance was curtailing the cost" of this Service, declaring tho same to bo absolutely necessary owing to the straitened condition of the colony's finances, Im was displaying bad tnste in propoaine, almost in the same breath, to increase the honorarium. As to tho improving prospects of tho country Iming due to tho industry of the colonists, f quite ngreo with Mr Bsinigh. It is the impetus that Ivis been given to settlement by ths opening of profitable markets for frozen meat and dairy produce that has effected such improvement. With an honest Government and careful administration <>f its finance, the colony was bound to progrnss. Tina tho Atkinson party was capable of providing, and Balbince's is tint. Fur the first quarter of tho current year tho revenue fell far short of the Treasurer's estimate, and the expenditure was increased.—Your?, etc., Lir.Eiuu

TO THK EDITOR. Sm,— There are probably few in Waikato who have a greater respect for Mr Bimgh's common-sense and sound judgment than myself; but I must say I cannot follow his lino of reasoning with regard to tho proposed increase in the honorarium. There can be no question that in the interests of democracy a inodorato amount of honorarium is necessary, otherwise men in poor circumstances would be unable to represent their fellows ; hut it has never yet been advanced that the sum of £150 was insufficient to cover expenses, and, in the case of a working man, also to recompense him for tho loss of time. In common with many others, I have been in hope that the socalled Liberal party, having onco obtained power, would embrace the opportunity to show their enemie.*, as well as friends, that their actions—oven if at times impolitic— were, at all events, based upon motives of patriotism ; but this move for increasing tho honorarium, while at the same time actively engaged in retrenching—the other fellows, completely destroys any such hope. I agree with your correspondent " Liberal " that, in view of the circumstances, the step proposed is retrogressive, and will ha regretted by gauuine. Liherals. The almost certain effect of making such a handsome provision for M.H.R's. will be to foster and encourage- the class of professional politicians, who are already too numerous. Indeed, to a plain man, this country seems to bo running to politics as a cabbage runs to seed. No matter what the evil under which we may happen to suffer, legislation U the universally accepted remedy ; and it id hard to say what absurd extremes may not be reached before the inevitable reaction sets in. The country, generally speaking, cannot live upon politics, although this is what a considerable number practically say we shall do. I venture to assert (though possibly I may be, quite wrong) that if tho same absorbing interest which is now taken in political moves of all kinds—which, when summed up, nre merely attempts to put tho load on someone else—were devoted to tho arts and sciences, to exploring and developing tho immense and almost unknown natural resources of our country, and encouraging its foreign trade, it would be better for ourselves, and possibly better for those unborn millions so frequently quoted—l am, etc., ]•]. C. Shefheud.