B.—Kd. 7%,

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES. The expenses of Members of the General Assembly to and from the sessions of Parliament are paid in full. The expenses of officers and other public servants travelling on public business are met by allowances paid, in most cases, under an irregular, incomplete, and unsatisfactory scale, which is not always conformed to. This scale is as under: — Judges and Members of the Executive, —at sea, passage money and ss. per diem; on land, £2 2s. per diem and actual travelling outlay. Government Officers, such as Telegraphic Engineers, Inspectors, <fee. —at sea, passage money and 2s. 6d. per diem: on land, actual outlay in horse, coach, carriage, or boat hire, and £1 Is. per diem. Clerks, 10s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. per diem. Messengers, 7s. Gd. to 4s. 6d. The regulations lately laid down as to the travelling expenses of officers of Native Department, Native Lands Court, and Compensation Court, authorize the usual travelling allowances, but when the officer remains more than three days at one place the allowance is changed into a lodging allowance at 6s. per diem. But as this rule has already been waived in the two only instances which have since come under notice, it is presumed to be unworkable. In the instance of Native Assessors travelling on business of the Lands Court, the 6s. was increased to 10s. per diem.; and the 6s. was increased to 15s. per diem, in the case of the Judges of the Compensation Court now sitting at Taranaki. Justices attending Petty Sessions are entitled to Is. 6d. per mile for the distance of their residences from Court, and the only other authorized allowances are those mentioned in the Schedule to " The Coroners Act, 1858," of Is. 6d. per mile one way for Coroners travelling to an inquest. Any other allowances are not in any way determined, but vary according to circumstances and the grade of tho officer travelling. It has always been the principle in rating these allowances that, although it is not supposed that the allowance is to form any emolument to the officer travelling, it should yet be of such an amount as to leave his ordinary official income free. AYe recommend the adoption of the following regulations for the rating and application of these allowances. They are designed to include every case, and with tho object of economizing expenditure. Ministers and Judges of the Supreme Court to receive two guineas per diem. Transport by land or sea to be provided by Government, and on sea ss. per diem. All other officers to be allowed travelling allowance at the daily rate of 3s. 6d. for every £100 of the salary received by them respectively. No allowance, however, to be less than 7s. 6d. per diem. Transport by land or sea to be provided by Government; and on sea 2s. 6d. to be allowed per diem. The Government or the officer to have the option, before the travelling commences, to specially 11

43

SERVICE COMMISSIONERS

Place. Office. Limit of Amount allowed to be Retained. Amounts Retained during year ending 30th June, 1866. Remarks. North Molyneux Tokomairiro Wanaka Invercargill Riverton Campbelltown ... Stewart's Island Chatham Islands Auckland Auckland Taranaki Wellington Nelson Canterbury Otago Registrar B., M., and D. Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto £ s. d. 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 £ s. d. 110 36 14 6 Nil. 63 4 6 17 13 0 4 12 6 Nil 8 5 0 100 0 0 18 19 0 25 6 0 0 5 0 5 5 0 7 0 0 50 0 0 Registrar-General Reg. Joint Stock Compny. Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Auckland Wellington Wanganui Napier Taranaki Nelson Collingwood Lyttelton Akaroa Timaru Hokitika Greymouth Dunedin Oamaru Molyneux Invercargill Licensing Officer Arms Act Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 25 0 0 25 0 0 50 0 0 25 0 0 50 0 0 25 0 0 25 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 26 6 0 36 8 0 50 0 0 50 0 0 7 8 0 50 0 0 7 19 0 25 0 0 29 3 4 32 8 11 50 0 0 15 9 0 7 18 0 50 0 0