THE ECONOMY REPORT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20523, 16 April 1932, Page 14

THE ECONOMY REPORT.

A SHARP ATTACK.

CASE OF MEMBERS OF

PARLIAMENT

[FROM OUR FxuLiAMEN-rAaT HEPORTSK-J

WELLINGTON, April 15.

A sharp attack on tho members oi the National Expenditure Commission, and the report they presented to the Government concerning tho salaries and privileges of members of Parliament, was launched by Mr W. A". Bodkin (C., Central Otago) in the House to-day. The report in this respect, he said, was worthv of the little men who had compiled "it. Mr Bodkin complained bitterly of the proposal to cut the salaries of members, who, he said, were the poorest paid servants of the otxte. Notwithstanding this fact there was an impression abroad that a member o Parliament was in a sheltered class, living in the lap of luxury, and deriv iug all sorts of benefits and privileges at the expense of the State. These beliefs had been aggravated by tho ridiculous and misleading report of the Economy Commission. Any man who represented a large and scattered elect orate was forced to draw heavily upon his privato income if he were to pay even travelling expenses, an item which the Commissioners had totally misrepresented. He wondered if tjie meiubers of the Commission realised that i order to get around an electorate such as his, which was the largest in the dominion, one occupied 30 days, calling at three villages a day, and must spend at least 20 nights away from home. The Country Member. It was impossible for the _ average Parliamentarian, even those living a Wellington, to make ends meet from tue honorarium, but when outside members were forced to spend nine months ot tho year in Wellington on the service of the State without even the usual compensating expenses allowed the ordinary servant of a company, it pl£*c • them in an impossible position. iuc Commission's reference to travelling cx penses was the most paltry caso ever placed on paper. The expenses were quite inadequate. Why was it, he asked, that every member who gave his life in service to the Stato died as poor as Lazarus? If the Parliamentarians of this country received the iemuneration received l.v members of the Commission they would be rich beyond the dreams of avarice. One city member had combined he was able to carry on his Parliamentary duties and attend sessions only because members of liis family kept his home going while he was away. A Government member: Shame. Ono found the Economy Commissioners gasping with indignation because, members' wives had steamer and rail privileges, said Mr Bodkin, but these m manv cases were merely book entries, and "were never used. What about the thouands of miles of road which 80 per cent, of members had to travel, and for which they received nothing, making a railway pass of very little value * Bellamy's. If ever there was a gratuitous insult offered to members of Parliament it was ( the section of the Commission's report referring to Bellamy's, which contained the dishonest and misleading statement that gratuitous services were received there. No service in Bellamy's was cheaper than the same service in the City. Some of them were dearer, and when the House was in session Bellamy 's showed a handsome profit. Cleaning and other charges were debited against Bellamy's which had nothing, to do with members' privileges. As far as the stamp and telegraph allowance was concerned, the average toll account would not be met with the £2 a month allowance given to members. The report suggested that members received 18s a day expenses while the House sat, whereas that was the amount they received coming to Wellington for the session-—a grossly unfair Construction. The most any member could get in a year was £3 12s. Only for Ricli Men. "Surely this country is not going to lay it down that only a rich man shall represent a constituency' in Parliament," Mr Bodkin added. "But this policy will bring that result about. If the system is not altered many members will be driven out of Parliament by sheer economic necessity. If such a system had obtained right through, those giants of the past, Seddon, McKenzie, and Massey, would never have had the privilege of serving as they did. The scene has changed, and the distressing circumstances in which we live has made it impossible for members to live on the honorarium."