The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1897. MINISTERS AND SYNDICATES

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9869, 28 October 1897, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1897. MINISTERS AND SYNDICATES

We are glad to see that even some of the Ministerial party haye come to tbe conclusion that it is wrong for the Premier of this colony to be in tbe pay of a foreign mining syndicate. The monstrous impropriety of such a position is so glaring that we are surprised that even the most bigoted party man ventures to defend it. Some of Mr. Seddon's supporters, we observe, spoke about the hardship of Ministers having to give up their " private business " when they take office. This, of course, is a mere attempt to hoodwink the public. There is not the slightest reason why any Minister should give up private business unless it is likoly to impair his usefulness or impartiality as a Minister of the Crown. He certainly ought to keep himself free from a position ia which he might have to decide between his private interests in the one direction, and the public interests in the other. There is no very radical objection oven to the fact of a Minister holding a directorship of a public Company, if under no circumstances could the interests of that Company come in conflict with those of the couutry. We confess, however, that in New Zealand, whore the Government meddle in so many private departments of life, it is difficult to say positively of any Company that it will never require any concessions from the Government or that its interests will never come into conflict with those of the State. Take the Colonial Produce and Distribution Company, for example, of which the Hon. J. M'Kenzie is a Director—a position which the Hon. J. G. Ward also holds, or held. At first sight one wouid say that this was a Company which a Minister might join without prejudice to his official position. Yet what happened ? Has Government influeuce never baen used on behalf of this Company ? The public have not yet forgotten that the person employed to float it was a Government dairy expert, Mr. CR. Valentine, brought out here at vast expense to the taxpayers, but who simply toured the colony to gain local experience, and then went Home to his Companyfloating. The taxpayers got little or no benefit from Mr. Valentine's services, but when two Ministers of the Crown were appointed to ihe Board of the newly-formed Company the question at once naturally arose as to whether the interests of the Company or of the country had benefited the most. Still more lately, as was pointed out by Mr. Pibani, the question of the freights competition and subsidising a Shipping Company has brought Mr. M'Kenzie's interests as a Director into conflict with his interests as a i Minister. I

The case of Mr. Seddon and the Anglo-Continental Mining Syndicate is of course far worse than that of Mr. M'Kenzie and the Colonial Produce Company. The AngloCon tiuenbal Syndicate not only secured the Premier and a mining member of the House among its paid servants, but by offering high salaries

tempted" the leading experts iv the Government service into its employ. As a member of the Cabinet, Mr. Seddon would have to deal with any applications for concessions made either by tho Syndicate direct or by concerns in which they are interested. There have already b.en carried through the House votes for the expenditure of large sums of raonoy on the goldfields, from which the Syndicate can hardly fail to derive substantial benefit. More recently the Government has made an entirely new departure in proposing to give £15,000 for the Cassell patent, with a view to cheapening the production of gold in this country. All this expenditure may or may not be for the benefit of the public, but it i 3 hardly possible for Mr. Seddon, being human, to be altogether oblivious to tho interests of the Syndicate. It is 3aid on Mr Seddon's behalf that tha Premier is pqorly paid, and that it would be very hard if he were not allowed to add to his income by taking the pay of Syndicates and Companies. This is the excuse made for the poor clerk who robs the till. That he is poorly paid is a reflection on his employer, but nobody ever argues that" till-robbing under any circumstances is meritorious or even justifiable. In like manner, if it is against the interests of the colony that Mr. Seddqn should be its Premier, and at the same time a paid servant of the Syndicate, the amount of his official salary does not affect the question. If the Premier is underpaid, it would be far better to increase his salary rather than allow him to continue in private employment likely to come in conflict with hia duty to the State. But is Mr. Seddon, as Premier, so very badly oft? In the first place,-it is quite certain that the position was not thrust upon him against his will. He intrigued for it and fought for it, and did not

hesitate, in order to obtain it, to represent the wishes of Ms " dead chief," Mr. Ballance, in a way that is quite at variance with the testimony of witnesses in a position to know. Therefore, having been so anxious to get the Premiership, Mr. Seddon ought not to find fault with it when he has got it. We ourselves do not think the honourable gentleman has any just ground for complaint. He has now been Premier for

four years, and during that time he has received from the colony, in salary, travelling expenses and allowances, and house allowance, some

£9680, or an average of £2_20 a year. Let us give the particulars :—

TravellingSalary, House. Expenses, kc Total. £ £ £ a. d. fed. 189A-4 1000 200 510 15 7 1710 15 7 1894-5 1000 _00 912 10 2112 1 0 1335-6 IfOO 20. 640 0 0 (nay) 1840 0 0 1596-7 ISO 200 2563 0 0 „ 4018 0 0 £9680 16 7 Details as to travelling expenses have always been kept back as far as possible by the present Ministry, so it is possible some of the accounts may be larger than we have stated. The return for 1895-6, for example, did

not give travelling allowances-_ o >,i travelling expenses, which j. J different thing—so we have taken about the usual average for that _J? In 189G-7 Mr. Seddon's salary eludes his pay as a member of «!* Assets Board (for which the colony • responsible), but not his salary fJL? the Syndicate. Tho amount for fa? veiling expenses of course includes ft "little bill " for attending the Hoblrt Conference and the Imperial JubiW During the three years Mr. Sed_k» was a Minister under Mr. Bau_____l his official roceipts were, of cour_T much smaller, but we should bo safe in taking them at an average of or £1500 a year, including houa. alloAvance and travelling expenses. Lastly, we observe Mr. Seddon m a fo a somewhat plaintive appeal as to what 1 would become of him when he Eo _. ' out of office, if he has to give up H" syndicate pay. If he has not inana-3 to put anything by out of the £11 <Jos"' j or £15,000 he has received from 'tha colony while he has been in o__ca0 __ca I what is there to prevent him, on hia ! retirement from office, from dovotioo himself cow amore to mining syndics and advisory Boards ? Surely he does not admit that it is only as Premier he can get these things—that as RrcHARD John Seddon, even with the distinction of P.O. and LL.D. aftt» his name, they would not be given t. him when he is no longer in an official position in which concessions are to h a made and votes granted ? If so, he i s pleading guilty to the most dama«»ia_ charge in his critics' indictment. ° a