PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4084, 23 June 1900, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

GOVERNOR'S SALAUV. ■ Those who take any notice .of parsing events; must;, have observed how (hoioughly his Excellency the Governor and the Countess, of Raul in ly have interested themselves in iho social w.cll-hoiHg of tho .people -of -this colony.- Lord ilaufurly.is always ready to .give his patronage to any worthy object, its has made, it his business to visit. every par! _ of New Zealand periodically, and lias frequently’put himself to much inconvenience. to bo present at any public iunction tin winch those interested .desired his 'Exbellency’s services. It is plain that ’Lord llanfudy could have done less as her 'Majesty’s representative, and yet have .stood as high, if not higher, in the estimation' of colonists than the most populal - of previous Governors, That-has not been his Excellency’s purpose.' • As lie said himself at the opening of the ii6w wing of the Ohiro I tome on Tuesday-last, he considered it in be his duty' and. delight as the Queen's representative! to .take a lively interest in all those, concerns that pertain to '.the people’s wqll-being. Lord Ranfurly is accordingly, perhaps, the most 4 )C? r>ul'ir Governor;;thin, colony' has '-.had,- .find ■ tho people in turn should not only show their .appreciation, of his services by their 'demonstrative approbation, but in it, more .-tangible.'way..- It is notorious that although Now Zealand 1 si.in ls third' in importance ipf ■ all tho Australasian calc, hies, y'et,we pay onr Governor no more than the Governor of Queensland receives. In ■ Victoria' and New South Wales tho Governors are • allowed.,- a salary: of; £7OOO a. year. each, and the annual allowance in New Zealand and Queensland is £SOOO. Wc have a. quarter of. a. million, more'people ’in this colony' .than there is in Queensland, and our trade is greater by, ovef\ three millions, a year. The salary jn this colony was fixed some*‘years ago. and before New Zealand had aflr.in-ii the importance politically and commercially- she now holds in Australasia, u is, perhaps, a. delicate matter to diVcn>;.-j, hut Parliament ought to take into lU serious consideration the advisabiihy el increasing the'(governor’s salary to an amount commensurate with the position that the colony now occupies. The mutter has only to he mentioned, we hope, to commend itself to members cf Parliament generally. MINISTERS AND SALAHU'S. •. Sir Robert Stout, in (he days' when be, was the' sturdiest of Libera ls, always strongly contended'Unit the true safety of (he democracy' could only lie ;■< ciu-cil by generous treat'mom oi public ■ rants... .This truth lias permeated lh<> Liberals ■0f,,.t0-day, and. there is little doubt that the House of Representatives will all but unanimously agree not only to increase the number of yunistor- of the Crown, .but to add to-their'individual salaries as.iwcll. For tho proper overtaking of the work of administration, it is held to bo necessary that the Nati'-e Minister should be given lull salary, and that in addition a now portfolio shall be created. If, along'-wilh this, the ordb.aryMinislcnal jsalary'.wero raised to Cl 000, and that of the Premier, to £ISOO, it would only moan an, additional expense to the country" of about £2OOO a year. When regard is had to the vast increase in the wealth, population, trade and'importance of New Zealand since, the number of Ministers and their salaries were fixed, this addition to the cost of administration is a mere bagatelle. The work and;responsibility have both inerep; - cd sufficiently to warrant the addition of two Ministerial salaries. Ifc is too much to expect .men >tb sacrifice their financial interest-in-fhe service of the peonle: and it? is anamolous to find that business and professional men, and even Civil’ Servants, have larger incomes than ll o-e entrusted with the very' highest duties. If the democracy is to be well .served, it must pay its servants well ; and much higher salaries than £ISOO a year will ere long have to be offered, if men arc to bo allured .from the pursuits of commerce to servo the-people as Ministers. NEW ZEALAND ARMY KwoLJIV'E.

The refeiren.ee in. the Governor’s- Speech to the forming of an Imperial and-coloni-al reserve force'in this country will naturally arouse interest as to the intentions ■ of the Government in this respect. To judge from what has transpired recently, there can he little doubt.that Ministers have a scheme fully matured which will in duo course be unfolded to Parliament. A very .‘simple - basis for such a reserve would be a provision that a certain lumber of men,would be enrolled both in tee volunteer force aiid in the New. Zealand Imperial Reserve—the .latter qualification implying an undertaking to serve under Imperial orders within nrest.ribed limit.-, say, in Australia, South Africa, the Pacific Islands. _ Japan, India, and perhaps China.'. With.such a force in existence, and readily mobilisable, it is evident that New Zealand could render prompt and effectual aid to the Empire in any crisis that might arise. The reservists might, in return for rendering themselves efficient and spending a month in camp yearly, bo well paid, partly O.v the colonial and partly by The Imperial Govcniiinnif. Thus, for a little extra expense, the o,T< <•- tive defence forces of New Zealand would be greatly increased, and a great advance would he made towards the rcalir-sf >on of a federal defence scheme: for i< to he expected that Australia wou'd follow suit, and that her reservists won; ! undertake to give their services in ,Vrv Zealand if required- There can be 710 doubt that the elaboration of a scheme on these'lines, to which it is understood Mr Seddon has of late been, devoting himself, will prove of-vast service to the Emj pire.