HIS EXCELLENCY

Evening Star, Issue 14224, 25 November 1909, Page 7

HIS EXCELLENCY

WHAT HE COSTS. A PROTEST. [From Ocn Parliamentary Ei-:i'OHTi:r..| WELLINGTON, November 20. The Governor's salary of £7,000 a year formed the subject of somo discussion in tho House last night, and served also to onablo members to discuss matters not apparently akin. Mr T. E. Taylor introduced a Governor's Salary and Allowances Amendment Bill, and made a speech on the first reading. Generally speaking ho disclosed a strong disapproval of the raising of His Excellency's salary in 1900 from £5.000 to £7,000. and 'considered that he was overpaid. If tho I resident of tho United States was paid in proportion to our population ho would receive £500,000 a year. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that on point of importance New Zealand ranked fourth among the British dependencies, coming after India, Canada, and.Australia. Ihe position must not be regarded purely from the £ s d point of view. The Governor was the recognised representative of the King, and it was absolutely essential that the position should be maintained in a proper way. For many years past the various Governors had spent in the country tho whole of the salary they had received. So long as it was considered desirable to have a representative of the King in New Zealand it was necessary to make reasonable provision to cover not only his personal expenditure but the maintenance of an establishment fitted to his position. Mr Hanan said that when the question of retrenchment was being dealt with no distinction should be made in the consideration to be extended to a charwoman and the Governor. He also atlv ?catcd cutting off the parliamentary 'fll I incident to tho running of the legislative machine, and mentioned that tho cost of the library could well be reuueed by not keeping the attendants on all tho year round. Ho stated further that counsel at the law drafting office, who received £I,OOO a year had gone tho length of charging to the Crown the sum of £4 paid for his license to practise in the New Zealand courts as a barrister. "We should begin at the head " was his advice as to retrenchment.

In replying, Mr Taylor declared that a spasm of snobbery had been responsible for the raising of the Governor's salary irom £5,000 to £7,000 iu 1900. He went on to say that he understood that in connection with the building of a new Governor's residence a public road was to be closed and a new roadway constructed at a cost of £IO,OOO. H so, it was a public scandal. It was qmto ridiculous to suggest that our Governor entertained on a large scale. He had a tree residence, free travelling by train and steamer, and there was no justification for a second xesidence at Auckland. Mr Taylor stated his belief that within ten or fifteen years Now Zealand would consider itself stroii" and important enough to select its own Governor, and would withdraw from the Crown the power of nomination. "It would cost more," interjected a member. Mr Taylor replied that wo did not exactly know what the present system cost, tor secrecy was maintained by the Government as to expenditure-. Beyond tie £,,000 statutory salary, ho believed o\ P .,n!i cost New Zealand £12,000 or i.1.i,00() a year to maintain the' Governor and his staff. " We have no right " ho continued, ''as a democracy to ape the aristocracy. Wo have been tuniiti" out several hundred Civil servants. It should be as much our concern to see that these men and their families have access to the necessaries of life as to see that the Governor is not stinted in Ins allowance. U' you tell me rhey must take pot-luck and that we must maintain tho Governor's salary at a figure that was hxed in a moment of excitement, you tell me something I am not prepared to swallow."

The Bill was road a first time, and set down for second reading 011 'Wednesday next.