£75 INCREASE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 105, 31 October 1933, Page 8

£75 INCREASE

STORM OF PROTEST

COMMONWEALTH MEMBERS

A MIDNIGHT MEETING

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, October 26.

The storm of protest which followed the decision of-the' House of Representatives to increase*, the salary of members from £750 a year t0.£825 was almost unprecedented in' the political history .of Australia. Almost without exception the Press of the Co.ninioiiwealth condemned what it was pleased to, call tho "salary grab;'' The "Sydney' Morning Herald"' said;— "Everybody who voted for tho incroaso is discredited,, and tho Commonwealth1 as a whole has a feeling that it has been betrayed. . . ,/ Surely members of Parliament at Canberra could have endured for a while longer \their own burden'of reduced salaries'when so many of their constituents all ■ over Australia are in a. wilderness of hardship in making ends meet.'* Other writers were not so kind, and one likened the action of tho House to a thief in tho night. »

The reference to a thiof in the night liad to do with the manner in which ■the'increase . wns- decided upon. There ■ had been no talk of increasing tho pay of, members—that is to say, no open talk. ■ It was at tho height of ;an allnight sitting on the "recovery" .Budget'that'sevaral members got together and decided that the- time had arrived when, they should share in the improved finances of, tho>! Commonwealth. Even tho most ardent supporters of the increase were surprised at the reception that was accorded to their proposals. Backed by, tho opinion of their fellows, they needed little inducement to go further. They approached tho Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) and apparently, found him sympathetic, for within ii fow. hours tho; necessary motion was put forward. It is a mattor of history now that that motion was carried by ah .overwhelming majority—44 to 16. Tho opponents wore drawn from the representatives of tho small States —Tusinania, South. Australia, and Western Australia—all of whom hold that, if the Government has any money to spftro it should be dovotecl to the relief of thoso Statos which have suffered most disabilities as a "result of Federation..

DID MB. LYONS ERR?

Tho attifudo of-tho Government was that tHo"'matter of salaries should be left to the members themselves. . The view generally taken is that the Prime Minister made a gravo error in permitting dictatioij, and it goes without saying that had he resisted the claim ho would have renewed his popularity which, if truth must bo told, is slightly on the- wane. Mr. Lyons said that under the Budget something had been done for ovcry section of the community, and members were entitled to tho proposed restoration. Mr. Lyons showed that he was out of touch with public opinion when he said he was sure the public would approvo .of • what /vvas being done, : It is true that the amount involved was littlo' more than £5000 for the remainder of the financial, year, but it is not the amount that is ob-; jected to so much as tho principles involved and'tho manner in which-the

readjustment was made. „ j v-' '_ Thore*wero romai'kable scenes' in the House before tho :voto ■was -taken, the opponents Tjeing particularly bitter. There wore protests about the procedure that-was being adopted, and the Speaker found it his duty to warn several of the members who failed to, see any justification for the increase. Others pleaded that the cost of,living at Canberra made it essential that members should have their salaries increased, some of them asserting that board in Canberra alone was . £s'a week. ■ Mr. M. G-abb, from South. Australia, was practically refused a hearing, and when ho was able, to s^eak he said that he was elected/ on £800 a year, arid ho would ■.■not take a penny more; ' The proposal was' being pushed through' in a'mahnfcr that would "stink in tno>nostrels of.the people." In the midst of bitter personal attacks there were scenes of gravo disorder. . ~

, CONDEMNED AS EXAMPLE.

Tho' Premier of Soiith Australia (Mr. BUtler); said., that the Federal Government''had sot a "tragic and deplorable'", example to the. rest of tho Commonwealth. -In all States meetings of tHe1 Taxpayers'., Associations , wire called, and; ; tho decision of Parliament \\'M condemned in no uncertain terms. Saores of; telegrams from all. manner of organisations; were forwarded \o- the Prime .Minister. '~ On all' sides it was held,;that the increase could not. have been more inopportune.'lt was regarded as inconceivable that any body of men who. had preached the- gospel of sacrifieo should so "plunder".the community. ■'*•■'•' ' '■■; ■ ' '" ' ■'■ ■' ■ As a matter of fact, Labour organisations • alono seem to have held' themselves aloof from tho controversy. It is ironical that supporters of Mr. Lang in the Federal Parliament should have decided to accept tho increase and pay ■it into a Labour fighting fund in readiness for the next Federal election.