TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2194, 25 September 1907, Page 2

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES.

FURTHER REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT. GENERAL INQUIRY WANTED. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 24. Tho question of travelling allowances was again brought before the House to-day by Mr. Massey. .He said be had been exceedingly disappointed to learn from the Premier that he did not intend to set up a general inquiry into the whole question of travelling allowances and expenses, and that it wfas proposed to restrict the inquiry to tlie case of the Chief Customs Expert. According, h© said, to what on© heard, the Customs Expert was not the only official who was drawing more than tho House was aware of. There was the dase of the District Judge which had been mentioned in the House, and he had also heard it stated that one of the officers connected with the late International Exhibition had, in addition to his salary, been drawing travelling allowance during the whole time that the Exhibition was open, although during that time he did not go outside Christchurch. The Premier had said that the Government was responsible in regard to the general question of travelling allowances. The Government was responsible to Parliament, but Parliament was responsible to the country, and the country wanted to know more about the question of those travelling allowances than it did. He did not think it was fair to make a scapegoat of tlie Customs Expert. Sir J. Ward: That was not suggested. Mr. Massey said that there were also officials travelling outside the colony. There was Mr. Gow, Mr. J. L. Kelly, Sir. Hogben, and Dr. Bedlen. It had been stated that Mr. Kelly was travelling on behalf of the Government, but Parliament had never been told anything about it. It had also been stated that an Auckland solicitor bad been sent Home during the recess to the colony in .some comparatively insignificant case which was referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Parliament had heard nothing about this. He considered that the whole question of travelling allowances should be referred to a special committee appointed-for the purpose, and that that committee should h.avfi power to call upon the heads of departments and any officer of tho Crown in order to enable it to understand what the position really was. Mr. Major said that the mind of the public of the colony was so inflamed by what had been stated regarding the travelling allowances of the Chief Customs Expert that it was ready to believe anything. He thought that the Government should tiake steps to remove the feeling of suspicion that existed.

Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, said that Mr. Kelly was not an officer of tlie Government, and he was not receiving any travelling allowance. He was simply to be paid £SO for reporting and writing on matters connected with the extension of New Zealand trade' with the Old Country in wool, iiax, butter, aud other produce. He considered that the price was low for the services to bo rendered, which also included the writing of articles on New Zealand for Home papers. Then as to Dr. Bell he had no tmvellilig allowances out ol New Zealand. He did not think public officers should be lampooned every time that- they left the colony as if they were robbing the country ol something. So far as the Government was aware, there was no other agreement in regard to travelling allowance in. existence of such a diaiacter as the one they were going to inquire into. He had never stated that they were going to inquiro into the travelling allowances of every officer in the Civil Service.