MINISTERS AND MEMBERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 1 February 1936, Page 7

MINISTERS AND MEMBERS

SYSTEM OF SHARING SALARIES

OBJECTIVE EXPLAINED

(By Telegraph—Prean Association]

WELLINGTON, This Day

For the first time in the Parliamentary history of New Zealand, Ministers of the Crown are sharing their honoraria with members of the Labour. Government party. Moreover, the unique system has not yet been developed to the full extent of Labour’s ideal of service and reward. A wider practice in the near future is assured. The Prime Minister, Hon. M. J. Savage, freely discussed the novel position yesterday with a representative of “The" Dominion.” In reply to a question, Mr Savage said : “Yes, it is true that the Ministry is sharing its honoraria with other members of the Labour Government Party. The system, however, has not yet been fully developed. As matter of fact, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, and a special committee Ure working out the details of a comprehensive scheme of what may be called sal-ary-sharing on a basis of co-operative service not merely for the party, but for the country as whole. We have a big task to do, and there are 55 of us now in the party, each willing to do his bit, all expected to do their bestaccording to ability, experience and special knowledge. The ideal is simple enough, and it is as reasonable as it is simple in idealism. The Labour Party is pledged to do everything possible’ for the people as a whole, and it follows that each member is anxious and determined to do,his best. And, as you know, ‘the labourer is worthy of his hire,’ even in politics as in every form of service. As a party, we do not ■want any man to feel that he Is merely a cypher, a head to count when parties go into the division lobbies. We want to get the best that is in each man s head, and is seems to me that there is no other way to get a national job done with the thoroughness and fairness that the people want. PRIME MINISTER’S POSITION “I agree that it would be unfair I would not go so far as to say it would be an impertinence —to ask how much salary I, as Prime Minister, am drawing under the present arrangements. It is, of course, not so much as the sum allotted to the position, and it is likely to be less. But that has nothing to do with the objective of the Labour Government and the Labour Party. We aim at securing the best possible results, and as a means to that end we believe that every man who is willing to strive for that goal is entitled to share in the fixed statutory rewards for service. “Already arrangements have been made by which the additional members of the Executive who are without portfolios share in the Ministerial honoraria. This has been done within the limits of the Civil Last and without any additional cost to the taxpayer. FULL DETAILS NOT WORKED OUT

“The same principle will hold when the present system of sharing has been extended to all the members of the Labour Party in Parliament. It is now merely a question of working out details. We are of one mind as to the principle. Every member of the party will have an opportunity to do *his full share of work. This does not mean that there Will "be any division /of Min-, isterial authority or administrative confusion. Each Minister will be fully responsible for the portfolio or portfolios he holds. The parliamentary members of the party who help him wjll in no sense usurp the responsibilities and decisions of Ministers. It is reasonable, however, that if members share Ministerial work they should also share the emoluments of Ministers. That is all there is to it. Full details of the ‘cooperative government’ system have not yet been worked out, but you have been given the idea and the objective.”

REV. CLYDE CARR TO ASSIST MINISTER OF EDUCATION

TIM'ARU, 31st January

The Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P. for Tim'aru. is to he associated with the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Eraser, in the reorganisation of the educational system on the basis of the Atmore report. Not only was he with Mr Eraser one of the signatories of the report, hut he was the only member of the Labour Party who travelled as a member of the recess committee of 1929 throughout New Zealand taking evidence on which the report was based.