Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, JULY 31, 1933 A COSTLY ESTABLISHMENT.

Patea Mail, Volume LIII, 31 July 1933, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, JULY 31, 1933 A COSTLY ESTABLISHMENT.

THE termination of Sir Thomas Wilford’s term of office as Higli Commissioner for New Zealand, which is due to take place at the end of the present year, will give the Government an opportunity 'of practising thg economy that is so badly needed.' The suggestion that a little country with a population less than that of a couple of English towns combined, heeds an establishment in- London costing £35,000 a'year is the height of absurdity. If New Zealand were as large as Canada or Australia, or had the population and wealth of Lidia, then it could be said to be able to afford such luxuries as a £35,000 High Commissioner and staff in London. In these days of long distance telephony there is less; need for a costly establishment in London than there \vas in the early days, when the country was in its infancy.. v ln those days it was. the desire of the authorities to let the public know that there was such a country as New 'Zealand, with a view to inducing emigrants to come to the country. To-day things have changed; -The, All Blacks and the part played by New Zealanders in ..the Great War- have fold the world that there is such a country as New Zealand, and the fact that ’we have 73,000 unemployed, is proof positive that just now no further emigrants are required to' swell the unemployed ranks. Hence the major reasons for the appointment of a High Commissioned with a huge-and costly establishment are to a great extent iiqii-cxistent. During the last year the huge sum of twenty million pounds was taken from the/pockets of the New Zealand people by way of taxation. When the 753,000 females, very few of whom pay taxes, are taken into' consideration, as well as the number of minors, the 73,000 unemployed, those who unfortunately are' in mental hospitals and elsewhere, it will be seen that the burden of taxation will fall heavily on the minority. According to ‘ the /annual estimates of the expenditure of the Government for the year ending March 31 last, there were no less than 88 permanent officials in the High Commissioner’s Office in London made up as follows: High Commissioner, £1575. 'Secretary, £784, . Finance Officer, £709. .69 Clerks and Messengers, £16,421.

15 Miscellaneous, £1174, Publicity Officer, £709. Non-permanents,, £l7l.

In addition to the above salaries, which total £21,543, there are . other items which the New Zealand taxpayer has to' provide for such as house allowance for the High Commissioner £9OO, fuel and light, power and -water £BSO, maintenance of motor vehicles £245, travelling allowances and expenses £300; and sundry other items, bringing the total cost up to £35,228, as •against''-. '£37,4T6 voted the previous year, a sum altogether out of all proportion to ■the population and size of the Dominion. The time is ripe, and more than ripe, for a complete overhaul of all the Departments of State.in order that the superfluous officials may be dispensed with and- the countryls business administered on more economical lines. '