THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Thursday, July 16, 1942. SALARIES OF POLITICIANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24969, 16 July 1942, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Thursday, July 16, 1942. SALARIES OF POLITICIANS

The complaint which was heard from members of Parliament in the course of the discussion last week on the Bill for postponing the date of the general election is supported by a correspondent whose letter we publish this morning and is justified by a comparison of the salaries paid to members of the Legislature in New Zealand with those paid to members in the other dominions. It is, of course, important that the taxpayers should bear in mind that the emoluments received by members are not confined to the salaries of £450 and £315 that are respectively paid to members of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council. These salaries are covered by a vote of £40,140 in the Estimates. In addition, sums aggregating over £35,000, which repi'esent concessions of one kind and another to members, are annually voted. The cost of passes on the railways and on service cars, together with unspecified “ concessions,” accounts for as much as £27,200, and the public may be surprised to learn that this privilege of free travel is not enjoyed only by members. It is extended to —we quote from the Estimates —“ members and ex-mem-bers of the Legislature, families, relatives, etc.” Whether “ the sisters and the cousins and the aunts ” who might conceivably be “ reckoned up in dozens ” are included in this generous provision may be left to conjecture, and the public, which pays the cost of the concessions, will certainly be perplexed to know what is comprised in the possibly comprehensive “ etc.” In order, moreover, to preserve members from the danger of being out of pocket while travelling at the taxpayers’ expense, there is an appropriation of £350 to cover “ travelling allowances and expenses of members travelling to, and returning from, Parliament,” and this vote is additional to one which provides railway sleeping berths for members and their wives. Those persons who conduct a correspondence with members have reason to know that parliamentary stationery is regularly used by them during the recess, but may not be aware that members of the Lower House are allowed a free issue of postage stamps to the extent of £3 a month, nor may they have learnt that members are, at a cost to the public of £ 1500 a year, accorded a special rate for telegrams and that they pay only half-rates for their telephone services, £llsO being voted to cover the loss thus suffered by the State department. The country, in fact, defrays so much of the expenses to which members are put in the performance of their duties to their constituencies that there should be no cause for a claim for a deduction from their taxable income by reason of the calls upon their resources. Another item in the Estimates, of which some explanation would seem to be desirable, is one of £450 to meet the cost of a supply of publications to It will be seen that, even if they do not enjoy, as some of them have enjoyed, the benefit of appointment during the recess to parliamentary committees, members do not lack “ pickings.” What the value of these may be per head of the Legislature can only be guessed at, but it cannot be unsubstantial. At present, however, the taxpayers are in the dark about the extent of the payments made to members. There may be supposed to be a deliberate design to keep the taxpayers in the dark. It is a reasonable argument that the value of all these concessions should be included in the amount of the salaries paid to members. The electors would then know what -their representatives were being paid and be able to form a better conclusion than is now possible whether their members were worth the salaries received by them. These salaries should, however, be substantial, and there should be no pretence that the members are receiving less than is being paid to them. Given a higher rate of pay, then, as our correspondent suggests, a better type of candidate for Parliament might present himself.