STRUCK OUT. A GOVERNMENT DEFEAT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1909, Page 5

STRUCK OUT. A GOVERNMENT DEFEAT.

FINANCIAL ADVISER'S SALARY. The Government suffered a rebuff during the discussion on the Estimates last night. The subject under discussion was an item of £400, salary of the financial adviser of the Government in London. 'Who is the financial adviser of the Government in London, and what is he paidV" ask^d Mr. Massey. "Mr. W. P. Reeves," replied the Prime Minister, who added that Mr. Reeves was familiar with the financial operations of the Government, and since Sir Walter Kennaway's retirement he was more familiar with the subject than any one else, and was well worth the money. A lengthy debate ensued, the opponents of the vote contending that there are several people in the New Zealand '"Home Office" who are not provided with sufficient work, and that the post of "financial adviser^' is one that could easily be dispensed with. There was no indication during the progress of the debate that members generally entertained very strong feelings on the subject, but the result of the division that took place was to strike the item off the Estimates — a course that the House lias not taken for something like twenty years. During the course of the discussion the suggestion was made that the position of the financial adviser had been created as a sop to Mr. Reeves on his leaving the position of High Commissioner, but the Prime Minister scouted the idea, and remarked that when the proposed readjustment of the High Commissioner's Office had been carried out a saving of many hundreds of pounds a year would have been effected. It is suggested that the "whipping" was defective, but for all that the voting — 35 to 25— against the item was significant. The division list was as follows : — 4yes (35). — Allen, Anderson, Arnold, Buchanan, Buick, Clark, Davey, Dive, J. Duncan, Fisher, - Glover, Hanan, Hardy, Herdman, Herries, Hine, Hogg, Jennings, Lang, Luke, M'Laren, Mander, Massey, Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Phillips, Poole, Russell, 'Scott, G. M. Thomson, J. C. Thomson, Witty, Wright. Nces (25). — Brown, Buddo, Carroll, Colvin, Ell, Field, Forbes, Fowlds, Hall, Hogan, Laurenson, Lawry, M'Donald, R. M'Kenzie, T. Mackenzie, •Millar. Poland, Reed, Ross, Seddon, Sidey, Smith, Siallworthy, Te Rangihiroa, Ward. j Sir Joseph Ward made no comment on the result of the division, and the House proceeded to discuss the next item. j