Government Patronage

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1947, Page 4

Government Patronage

(Rec. 2.15 p.m.) i LONDON, Oct. 3. A resolution expressing disquiet at : the “vast growth of political patronage which the Government had deliberately created,” and determination to I remove this menace to the purity of British public life,” was passed at the Conservatives’ conference. Mr John Boyd Carpenter, M.P., said that the mere existence of masses of agreeable, well paid Government appointments, serving no useful purpose and which were in the sole gift of Ministers, must necessarily affect the mental background of people engaged in public life/ _ . _ “The chairman of the National Coal Board gets along on a beggarly pittance of £BSOO annually and his colleagues stagger along on £SOOO yearly with a mere £IO,OOO for expenses.” He added that Mr Shinwell had deliberately concealed from the House of Commons the salaries of regional officials of the Coal Board. PLUMS AVAILABLE Mr Boyd Carpenter also mentioned other four-figure appointments in the patronage of the Government. There were 18 appointments to the Bank of England Court of Governors' at the disposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer; three chairmen, three deputy chairmen and 27 members of the three airways corporations, with salaries determined by the Minister of Civil Aviation; 10 member of the Land Board determined by the Minister of Town and Country Planning; 54 appointments determined by the Minister of Transport- 124 electricity appointments in the gift of the Minister of Fuel and Power.