INVERCARGILL BY-ELECTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20640, 12 August 1930, Page 10

INVERCARGILL BY-ELECTION

MR. WARD'S SECRETARYSHIP

QUESTION REGARDING SALARY

At a meeting addressed by Mr. Vincent Ward in Invercargill last week a questioner asked tho candidate whether lie had dr.iwn a salary as bis late father's private secretary and whether it was not true that he had practically regarded himself as member for Invercargill. "I was not member for Invercargill. My father was, and I was there to assist him," said Mr. Ward. " The Prime Minister has a right to appoint his own private secretary. I was asked what salary I would take, and I said £IOO a year iess than any other secretary to the Prime Minister; so I got £6OO a year. As a matter of fact, my salary actually cost the country nothing, since I discovered that the Prime Minister's Department was being charged up with £I2OO a year for motor-cars. My father did not require all that, so I reduced it at onco by £6OO a year."

RISE IN THE PETROL TAX. HINT TO THE SMALL CARTER. In a reference to the increased petrol tax Mr. .1- Hargest, Reform candidate for Invercargill, remarked that a local newspaper bad said that the only person hit would be the big man, and in a leading article the journal explained how it could not possibly hurt the small carter in Invercargill. The writer put forth tho astounding suggestion that tho small carter used less petrol because ho spent his time largely on the carriers' stand, and the longer time ho spent idle on that stand, the less tax he paid. "The obviou3 conclusion to this," said Mr. Hargest, "is that if the carter remains indefinitely on the stand, ho will cscnpo (Jie (ax md make his fortune. However, I would like to assure you that I do not subscribe to that idea." (Laughter.)

ABSENT ELECTORS. PROCEDURE FOR VOTING. [BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION*. J WELLINGTON, Monday. Electors of Invercargill who will be absent. from the electorate ori Wednesday may exercise their votes on making personal application to any postmaster. The right to vote by this means extends only to electors whose names are on tho Invercargill roll and who still retain their residential! qualification. Sea moo dr not. come under these provisions, A seaman voting outside his electorate must bo in possession of a seaman's light, and apply in person to the collector of customs.