Salaries of Judges.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XIV, Issue 1190, 24 October 1904, Page 2

Salaries of Judges.

SPEECH BT MB MOSS.

We take the following extract from the report in Hansard of the debate in the House on the "Supreme Court Judges' Salaries Bill" :—

Mr Moss (Ohinerauri).—l view this Bill with very mixed feelings, but at the same time I intend to vote for it. We must all admit that the standard of living has been raised in New Zealand since the salaries of the Judges were fixed thirty years ago. I am, and always have been, a believer in a simple form of Hying. lam not one who believes that it is good for a country to see people indulging in expensive entertainments or social functions; moreover, we should not cater for avarice and ambition Ambition w catered for and an assured position is given to a Judge by the mere fact of his being appointed to so high an office, and there is no necessity for any lavish private expenditure A Judjje,as we all know, has to sacrifice a great deal when he accepts the position, and requires to lead a life different from that of the rest of the community. The puisne Judges have to isolate themselves to a very great extent. The investments thpy Psn put their money into are very limited, and they have not the same chances of making money as they had while practising their profession. I di-1 not like some of the reasons the Premier gave for fine Isill when introducing it. I 4id not like the reason that because the rnernb,er.sof this Assembly had dipped their han-ls into the country's pocket and helped $heinselves to more pay we should proceed to help others from the same popket. J'do nqt think th*t wa*% worthy qr good motive to ■ give fur introducing such a Bill an?} lam surprised at the Premier instead of the Minister of Justice bringing in the Bill The fact J Ijke least about the Bill is ih«s eyid,ent belittlement of the position of our Chief Justice. When His Excellency the Governor is absent from the colony the Chief Justice takes his place, anti when a Governor leaves the colony, then until the arrival of his successor the Chief Justice is in the position of ActingGovernor. I believe there is hardly a case in the Australian Colonies, ftxoepMng our recent one in New Zealand/when an interregnum did not take place. Thia is another reason why there should be a distinction between the salary of the Qhief Justice and the salary of the ottyer .Judges, gii'd th,at distinction, founded on the inevitable additional expense of maintaining his position, is strongly marked in all the other colonies except New gegjsnd. Is this now to cease in New Zealand ? The distinction, at all events, it to be leas, and there is in future to be a difference of £20p only between the salary of the Chief Justice and the salary °f *^ c other Judges. We surely cannot desire to have the position of Chief Justice belittled, and I trust that the sight we saw a little time ago will never occur again. Many strange and sinister rumours, far from flattering to high officials, were floating through the country, to j which rumours additional weight; will be given by the fact of the j alteration J have mentioned in the Chief Justice's salary.