CIVIL LIST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 193, 15 August 1936, Page 18

CIVIL LIST.

BILL THROUGH HOUSE.

FOUR UNDER-SECRETARIES.

OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Friday.

The Civil List Amendment Bill, providing for the appointment of undersecretaries, was put through committee in the House of Representatives to-day, read a third time, and passed. An amendment by Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (National, Riccarton) to exclude the appointment of members of the Legislative Council was lost on division by 40 votes to 13.

Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford) asked whether it was the intention of the Government to appoint one or a, dozen under-seeretaries. Was the country to be flooded with them? It waa the object of the Government to see that money was spent, so why not give the number of appointments? Every member of the Labour party might be appointed.

Mr. J. A. Lee (Government, Grey Lynn) : Do you think that every Minister is going to have the Dionne quintuplets with him, or something like thatt

Mr. Poison: I cannot imagine the Prime Minister having anything like that.

Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) said, that members of the Labour party had objected to members of the Legislative Council being given any official position. Now they were turning a political somersault —a political "double flip."

Prime Minister's Salary. The Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, said he was getting £800 or £900 a year less than he would have received had he not entered into the arrangement about salary pooling. Mr. Kyle: I think it is wrong. The Prime Minister: It does not matter what the honourable member thinks. I think it is right. Replying to a remark made by Mr. Kyle, Mr. Savage said he would pay income tax on the amount the law demanded. After that he would do what he liked with his own money. The Opposition was worried that the Gov : ernment was going to have an army of Under-Secretaries. "We want the people's representatives to run this country instead of irresponsible members of boards," he said. The Government would not run up expense that could be avoided. "We are not going to' throw money about for the purpose of assisting our friends," he added. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Forbes, suggested that the number of Under-Secretaries should be limited to four. Mr. Savage: That is about the number we will appoint right away. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) said more Ministers were required and they should be paid on a.reasonable basis, it would be preferable to appoint two more Ministers than UnderSecretaries. Loaves and Fishes. The Prime Minister said that the criticism of the Opposition was to the effect that the Government was scattering the loaves and ,fish<es amongst its friends. "We have not had time yet," he said humorously, and there was laughter from both sides of the House. The Government desired to appoint to the positions those who were qualified for the work, he added. Mr. J. Hargest (National, Awarua) said the cost of Government had always been expensive, but now it; was getting j beyond reason. In the eyes of people overseas it was becoming an absurdity.;

Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Ro9kill) said the Opposition had criticised the bill merely on the assumption that eleven under-secretaries would be appointed. Already the Government had saved the country thousands of pounds by abolishing seven boards. Mr. Poison commented that the Government had put advisers and others in rtieir places.

When the clause dealing with salaries and allowances was reached Mr. Poison said that an under-secretary could receive several hundreds of guineas as travelling allowance at two guineas a day, in addition to a salary of £600 and house allowance £200. Such emoluments to members' without the responsibility of Ministers spelt extravagance, and was wrong.

Mr. T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton): Your next door neighbour thinks it is not enough.

Mr. Poison: ,You will get much more than £600 a year. I can see the genuine anxiety of the Government members to see the bill go through.

The Prime Minister (laughingly): A gold mine.

A Huge Jump.

Mr. W.~ P. Endean (National, Parnell) said the Legislative Department vote had made a huge jump of over £31,000. The House was not informed of the number of appointments to be made, but the Government had been long 'enough in office to have investigated • the position to see how many Ministers desired the help of under-secretaries. The expense did not stop at the salaries. There was. office accommodation, secretarial help and other considerations to be thought of. :

Mr. Broadfoot: Rubber Mr. Endean: That is like tlie printing press for costless credit. Continuing, Mr. Endean said lie had listened to the speech of the Minister of Finance on that subject. It was a speech of mysterious dogma. The Government had introduced a story of reinflation, but if the appointment of. .undersecretaries* was evidence of that control in a small matter what would happen with a big matter. Before the Government finished it would, have uncontrolled reinflation.

Mr. Broadfoot: Open slather.

Mr. Endean said he would not intro: duce such a term into a serious debate.