IMPERTINENT!

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 6

IMPERTINENT!

Our Politicians Want

More Pay

There is some quiet move afoot to increase the pay of members of Parliament. In fact, 'it is so quiet that the people of the Dominion may have commenced to believe that the timorous suggestion made some little time ago has fizzled out.

"M Z. TRUTH" does not believe that '* such is the case and would not be at all surprised to see an increase hustled through m the last spasm of a pettifogging session, which has been conspicuous m nothing else than that it has been singularly lacking m any single act worthy of the name of statesmanship. So greatly has this country been governed by Orders-in-Council for some time past in' any matter of more than ordinary importance that it. is no exaggeration to say that the House of Representatives has transferred its powers. . .. Every member who tolerated this form of legislation without: protect has been— to put no more stringent term to his acquiescence — guilty of betraying his trust tp the electors. ; Yet In the face of this there is a move to grab an increase from the State coffers, which are already burdened with far too many sycophants and soft-jobbers. Were the Dominion m an affluent and prosperous condition,; and were there any signs of a real sense of Parliamentary • responsibilities, the case would be different. < Apologists may be found m plenty to justify the proposed grab; it is — it qm be— only as such .that the majority of. the present members will appear before the electors about t this time a year hence. And if .they are not already perfect at. the game of apologizing a. little practice more or less will not come amiss.' ■' ' When Lord Davenport was one of the many controllers^ of something or other m England during ; ( the war, he told the Press which had 'criticized bis abilities that he was giving his services free. \ jr A London evening paper retorted that no doubt he was the best judge pf their value! . If the . people, of ; New Zealand are any judge of the value of the. services of their Parliamentarians— and we believe they are— it is not a matter of doubt;' it v is a dead certainty. ' They would not favor any increase of salaries, and "Truth" believes that it is. but expressing the opinion, of every sane elector when it says that it would be a shameless piece of impertinence, i