HONORARIA OF M.P.S

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 91, 18 April 1932, Page 6

HONORARIA OF M.P.S

(To the Editor.) Sir,—One of the few bright spots o£ the last few days have been the statements from members of Parliament that the salaries paid to members; are ceasing to bo attractive. There is much to be thankful for'in ; this condition, for there mayyet be hope for a sinking democracy, and we may yet' get a Parliament, whose members will place the interests of their country before their own';-"For too long has this, suffering country had inflicted on it men. who would find it difficult to secure the same rewards in private as in Parliamentary life—and for. too long: have the politicians played the Parliamentary game to their own advantage; , One sometimes hears of the abuses of the old days, but in' these enlightened times the electors are bribed with their bwn'money bymeana of a vigorous Public Works expenditure, further instilments of humanitarian legislation (meaning free service for certain sections of the people while costing other sections bucketsful of money), socialisation of industry, and all the rest which promise to make things softer, and easier. To-day we ;have the spectacle of the Socialist Party magnifying the troubles of unfortunate people, hoping to gain a political advantage by increasing their discontent. The country or nation never seems to come into their plans. Industrial peace is the last thing some of them want; if industry moved quite smoothly that would be the end of ■ their jobs. No more wicked or vicious promises have ever been made to. deluded followers than those that are still being made in some quarters. There is a big step between promise and performance, and these promises are impossible of performance. £s it reasonable to suppose that our Labour leaders are going to succeed where; great men of their own class in many parts of the world have failed? However, my complaint is not solely against the Labour Party. The scale of Parliamentary emoluments has been such as to make it a desirable profession, and now that they can no longer be paid on the old scale it is no use weeping tears of blood over it. They pushed themselves into the job and wild horses would not have prevented them from breasting the tape at the last election, and some of those who are moaning now would have had fractured heads if they had missed the chariot.—l am, etc., ' •■'.'. •;,'■■• : ■; .. . . "'■"■ "; vH.S.M. ■■