GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SALARY

Evening Star, Issue 21079, 16 April 1932, Page 19

GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SALARY

■' LORD BLEDISLOE’S GENEROUS OFFER SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION SUGGESTED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 15. Tlio Governor-General (Lord iiledisloe) lias notified tire i’rimo Minister (Mr. G. W. Forbes) of Iris desire to have the emoluments of ins office reduced, including the earlier reductions, by an aggregate amount of 30 per cent., or, expressed alternatively, 45 per cent, of his salary, until such time as the national Budget may be balanced. Their Excellencies are also agreeable to one of the official residences being closed if thought dcsiiab.e on the grounds of economy. The following letter from His Excellency has been received by the Prime Minister “ Although 1 fully realise that the actual equality of sacrifice is difficult, it not impossible, of attainment in this or any other country by Governmental action, and that any attempt to attain it is apt sometimes to defeat its own ends, 1 hold strongly the view that we ought all, whatever be our position in the State, to aim at adequacy of sacrifice if this dominion is to be restored without undue delay to a position of financial equilibrium. This being so ; 1 would be indeed sorry if, in the position of His Majesty’s representative in New Zealand, I failed to bear my full share in shouldering the burden which is falling now so heavily upon the whole population, and particularly upon the poorest section of it. Realising that under the Imperial statute which constituted the office which I hold it is not open to the Legislature of the dominion to reduce its fixed emoluments without the sanction of ©His Majesty the King, I have, as you are aware, on my own initiative, expressed a desire on two previous occasions, tlm first during your absence at the Imperial Conference in 1930 and subsequently on October 5, 1931, to relinquish to the State 10 per cent, of the total emoluments of my office, aggregating as from November 1 last 20 per cent., or one-fifth of such emoluments, in the earnest hope that such abatements would ease appreciably the cost to the Treasury of the Gover-nor-General’s establishment, and at the same time compensate for the constitutional privilege of exemption from public burdens attached to ray office.

“ Specific reference to this exemption in the Bills before Parliament would not appear to be strictly necessary, but such reference not, unnaturally evokes critical comment. Such comment I frankly welcome so long as the actual position is realised by all members of the Legislature. 1 had intended, in view of the grave outlook disclosed by the Finance Minister’s recent Financial Statement, to make some further proposal to you regarding the emoluments of my office at the tinm of the introduction of the forthcoming Finance Bill, but in the circumstances I think it best to express to you now the wishes of Her Excellency and myself on the matter. It is our desire that for so Long at least as it is found impossible to balance the Budget of this dominion there shall be deducted an aggregate sum representing 30 per cent, of the entire statutory emoluments of, my office, or (expressed alternatively) 45 per cent, of tlm salary attaching thereto, such deduction to operate as from the beginning of the current financial year. This abatement, which is rendered possible by drawing upon our private resources in England, can, at the option of the Government, either be specifically provided for by a special statutory enactment submitted to His Majesty the King for approval or following the precedent which I created in April of last year, be effected by a discontinuance of the payment to my credit out of the Treasury of the amount represented thereby. “ In any case, as I have intimated on previous occasions, no deductions in the Governor-General’s emoluments now arranged for must be deemed applicable to my successors in the office, _ It is hardly necessary for me to remind you that extensive economies have already been effected in respect of those Govern-

meat House establishment charges which nominally fall on the publio purse, and wo shall gladly adopt any, other which, after full investigating the National Expenditure Commission may suggest. In pursuance of my request to this eflect made three months ago if, as I then intimated, it is deemed desirable during the present emergency to close at least one of our official resideuces, we shall in no way demur at the proposal. Let me add in conclusion that the Government and the country, may confidently count upon our cheerful compliance with any practical suggestions which the Government may make with a view to making our measure of sacrifice during this period or adversity comparable with that qt the rest of the community.—(Signed), Blodisloe.” ' . . , .... , Except for the addition of £ooo to the Governor-General’s allowances made during the war the emoluments of the office have remained the same for the last thirty-two years.