The Mayoral Salary.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 28

The Mayoral Salary.

We‘free! v admit that there is much to be said «>u both sides of the question of mavorai salaries. In our opinion, however, the balance of argument

leans heavily to the “ no-salary ” side. It may be urged that an adequate sum ought to be voted every year to enable the mayor of a city like Wellington to maintain with credit the dignity and hospitalities of the office. This, of coursej is only fair in itself and is very desirable, when a city’s finances are in so flourishing a condition that it can afford to go in for handsome hospitalities. But if the city cannot afford such luxuries these must be dispensed with. There are many things much more important than municipal hospitalities, aud while some of the most essential sanitary provisions remain absent owing to lack of funds, it is scarcely consistent to squander the ratepayers’ money on “junketings.” ft will very likely bo said that the sum at issue, is a mere trifle. Perhaps ; bat it is the aggregate of these individual trifles that runs away with such vast sums of money, aud loads us with such heavy municipal rates. Beside, it must not be forgotten that every £IOO a year represents the interest on £2OOO, not an inconsiderable sum in itself when applied to city improvements. If it be contended that the sum —whatever it may be-—which is nominally voted as the mayoral salary should be regarded as remuneration for mayoral services, we utterly deny the correctness of the view. The “salary” is simply a contribution from the civic funds toward the cost of the hospitalities and liberalities exercised by the mayor as chief magistrate. It is never supposed even to defray the full cost of these. Tho Lord Mayor of Loudon receives an enormous salary—£l.o,ooo a year—but it is always understood that he has to supplement it out of his private purse to tho extent of from 100 to 200 per cent, aud the cost of the year’s mayoralty is usually an anxious consideration to London aldermen high up on the way to the chair. It is not at all unreasonable to expect that even in Wellington the citizen who is chosen mayor shall deem the honour of the position sufficient recompense for its cost. The abolition of all salary attaching to the office will certainly not deter any desirable candidate from aspiring to the honour, but is much more likely to attract a better class of men, as they could not then be accused of seeking a paid “ billet.” Hitherto the system of paying a salary to the mayor has not worked at all well in Wellington. We have had several very good mayors, but in other cases the position has been simply sought either as a means of livelihood or—by professional politicians —as a stepping - stone to Parliament. It is not to the interests of tho citizens that their chief magistracy should be thus used, and the most effectual means of stopping the practice is to do away with the salary altogether, or at least to keep it at a merely nominal sum. We cordially commend Mr Duthie’s action in declining to accept any salary at all, and we are convinced that his conduct in the matter will meet with the hearty approval of every thoughtful aud intelligent ratepayer.