The Press. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1891.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7781, 7 February 1891, Page 4

The Press. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1891.

I The Wanganui Herald continues to keep tbe question of Ministerial salaries prominently before its readers. For tbe third time within a few weeks that journal has referred to the remuneration paid to Ministers of tho Crown as " below their fair level," and then proceeds to make some quite un-called-for remarks as to Sir Harry Atkinson's position. The remarks of our contemporary on this subject are in the worst possible taste, and we have no intention of repeating them in these columns even for the purpose of denouncing tbem. But it is certainly our duty to call the attention of the publio to the evident wish of some of the Ministry to have the Ministerial salaries raised at the earliest possible moment. Tbe gross impropristy of suob a proposal is apparent on the face of it; Ministers' salaries were reduced in 1887 in accordance witb tbe general policy of economy brought in by ihe then Government. It was approved by tbe House as the right thing to do, and it was unquestionably in accordance witb the pronounced opinion <)f the country. Moreover, ever since, the Legislature has been engaged in the task of cutting down the general estimates. Salaries of Civil servants have been made the subject of frequent discussion, and during the session of 1890 the then Opposition took aa active part in reducing the payment made to the various members of tbe Civil Service. Nothing could be in worse taste than for tho Ballanob Ministry, as soon as it found itself seated on the Treasury benches, to make a demand for an increase of pay. If, as Mr. B____nce_ organ asserts, Ministerial salaries are below "their fair level, if we may "assess them in the Bame way " as other salaries are assessed, viz., ««by the value of tbe services ren-tared,", the same remark wonld apply to many of the Civil Servants' salaries. Ministers, it appears to us, should accept #he situation as they found it. They Knew what the salaries were before they agreed to take office. They have made a contraot to govern the country on the basis of the present remuneration fixed by Parliament, and there the matter should rest. The publio will watch with keen interest the -attitude taken up by the Government on this question; and if they find out that Ministers, directly or indirectly, raise the question of pay, we .may, be sure the electors will not be slow to express their opinion of such proceedings, On thd question of adjournment versus prorogation, Mr, Ballanoe's organ quotes with approval the remarks of a Wellihgton contemporary. Summed up, those remarks amount to this, that bad Mr. J_ol__Bs_o_?_ amendment been earned the Council might have been justified in treating it as an attempt to trench on its privileges; In Other words, that the House had no right to dictate to the Council whether it should adjourn or not. But this is but a miserable excuse for a discreditable transaction. It is quite well known, as Mr, Ballanob had to admit, that it is a frequent practice at Home for lengthened adjournments tc take place. It is perfectly true that adjournments are solely in the power of each House. But it has not been unusual, as Mat points out, for the pleasure of the Crown to be signified in person, by message, commission, or proclamation, that both Houses should adjourn, and no instance has occurred in which either House has refused to adjourn. It is true that that such a communication might be disregarded, and the more recent practice has been for Ministers to assign & sufficient cause to each House for adjournment when, as a matte-' of course, each has adjourned of its own accord. All that was needed in the recent cast? was for Ministers to inform the Council and the House that they required some weeks to consider their plans, and tbat they desired the Houses to adjourn for that puipose. The request would have been granted, and the colony saved the cost of a double honorarium; But this did not suit the " convenience either of Ministers or of the majority of their party, and a ptorogatioii was accordingly insisted on. To appeal, as is now being done oil behalf of the Ministerial party, to constitutional practice in defence'of their Gondhot, shows how anxious they must be for some reasonable .excuse for having grabbed £150 each for a few days' work. The "constitutional precedent is entirely against them, and they now stand ooadexnned for having perpetrated a

without Bh«^ w ha-fing don© it. m \*^fer . These twoi matttw,' the r*.'t-V" in the Ministerial organ g crease m the salary of ML* & thepajment of a double2S___» for really one session _ work lated to create notalittleanmJJL^l w»th the question of head of the Government, as »_ _* before pointed out, has a bad JLif? thwreapeet. The only C_2_. on whioh he has been i«_ been memorable in the histoT J? 1 qolonyforthe moat reoklesa «_!„ ganoe and waste. It is i a _\$ take a freah departure, aud tihJ* wise he will be moat careful to a * If, for a third time, the <_oviJ? 0^ of 7*w* h « *• a ._£g* condemned by the people tf J* colony for thus best interests of the taxpavei* J* 1 will decline to allow lengthened period, to coktrol 7 destinies of the country. The _ijf honorarium has left a daii_2_? impression ou the public this is added a proposal for raijSg pay of Ministers, that be altered into positive hostility]!™