Poverty Bay Herald.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6478, 22 September 1892, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald.

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING, GISBOKNE, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1892 "^*HARD~WORK AND WOKRY. Sir Robert Stout has written a letter to the Otago Daily Times on "Public Life and its Penalties." He had been induced to do so by the recent breakdown in health of the Premier. He points out that it is not the first occasion on which tho long hours, the worry, and the bad atmosphere of tho House, have impaired the health of Ministers, and proceeds to give instaaces. Sir John Hall retired from the Premiership in ill-health, Sir Harry Atkinson had his lifo shortened by office toils and troubles, and "although I had been," says Sir Robert, " inured to a sedentary life since I was thirteen years of age, I was not in good health when I resigned office." Sir Robert Stout was an ardent Proviucialiat, and he has seized tha occasion to refer to his remarks in Parliament when Abolition was under discussion. He then stated that Parliament could not do its work well and members retain their health if the session was only three months long. Six months at least would be required to do the work, if any regard was to be had to the health of members. He says that for six weeks during the session of 1886 he worked continuously for seventeen hours a day (Sundays included). The remaining seven hours was all he had for sleep, meals, and recreation. " How fow," asks Sir Robert, " can stand ! such a strain % And if there be added the reward often given to public men in New Zealand — abuse ?ind misrepresentation by those they are serving — is it any wonder thac their health breaks down ?" According to the instances quoted by the ex Premier one side appears to be &s hardworked and as much abused as the ether. Sir Robert Stout is of opinion that if some system of federal government be not revived, the session will have to be extended to at least six months. He is evidently aware that there is no hope of the restoration of provincial institutions, or anything of the sort, for he proceeds to discuss the means of remedying matters under the existing system. He is of opinion that both Ministers and members should be much more highly paid than at present. He would raise the Premier's salary by L4OO a year, making it LI4OO, whilst the other Ministers' salaries should be increased by L4OO each. They are now paid LBOO. He would make a member's honorarium L 250, instead of Ll5O. He also believes tho number of members should be increased, so a^ to provide for specialisation of committee work generally. One of tho principal reasons adduced for the reduction of the number of members of the House of Representatives by twenty was that there would be less talk, more work, aud less expense. Sir Robert asks, have these results been achieved. He answers the question himself by stating that there has been more talk, less work, and what has been done has not been better done, and the expense directly saved has been a mere bagatelle ; but there has been an indirect loss. Sir Robert thinks that those who clamored for the reduction of members now see their mistake, " Just as those who voted for the abolition of the provinces now suffer the pangs of remorse. Both were retrograde steps and both have injured the coolny." Sir Robert Stout is in error in supposing that there is any general regret felt for the loss of provincial institutions, which have almost passed out of memory. Sir Robert Stout and Sir Georgo Grey are tho only prominent men in the country who ever refer to the subject. The reference to the reduction of the number of members of the House will be received with moro acceptance. The talking nuisance is greater in the present than in any previous Parliament, but it would be most illogical to assume that this is owing to there being seventy instead of ninety members. The evil is mainly attributable to the strong party feeling that has been displayed On the side of the Government there has been nothing of the spirit of compromise, and without that spirit representative institutions will never work satisfactorily. It is true that Ministers have given way on several important matters, but they yielded at the point of the bayonet and in the most ungracious fashion. There is no sign of a movement to increase the membership of the House to the former number ; so the remedy for the evil of much talk and little work is narrowed down to the question of honorarium, giving members a sufficient wage to induce thenAo devote half the year to legislative duties. With longer sessions there would undoubtedly be more talk, but it would be spread over a longer period, and there would be more opportunities for edging in a little work now and again. There is no hope of exhausting the windbags. They are not the class of people who suffer from hard work or worry. Tho country should not begrudge paying members fair remuneration for their services. It must bo fully recognised that there is no leisured or wealthy class in this colony who would bo willing" to devote several months of the your to legislative duties without any remuneration, such as is the case in the Mother Country. There is a Bill now before Parliament proposing that the honorarium of members should be L 240 a year. The Bill will probably be given effect to, but we are decidedly of opinion that, notwithstanding the increased pay, members will continue to evince a desire to return to their homes as soon as they can do so with any show of decency. An effort should be made to reduce the duration of the session, instead of looking forward to prolonging it. The forms of the Huuse might be altered so that the inveterate talkers might be curbed. The procedure of the American Congress might be tried, under which there is a time limit to speakers. There are more ways of killing a dog than by hanging him, but that is a more effectual way than throwing him a bone. The honorarium can be increased to any extent without choking some members in their speech. __^ ___— .

Messrs Williams and Kettle's wool and | skin sale has been postponed to Friday, 30th inst. At the R.M. Court this morning a first offender was cautioned and discharged for being drunk. This morning there was a rumor in town that the body of a man named Chas. Young had been found in the Waipaoa river at the Matawhero crossing, but on making enquiries of the police and residents of the locality we cannot find that there is any foundation for the rumor. Young is a married man, who has lately been in the employ of Mr A. C. Arthur. There is a warrant I out for Young on a charge of forgery of an ! endorsement to a bill which he negotiated, in consequence of which he disappeared about a fortnight ago. and nothing has been heard of him since. The police have been searching for him. The usual sitting of the R.M. Court was i held by Mr Booth, R.M., this morning, when the following civil cases were dealt with :— W. H. Harding v. A. S. Hoyte, claim £\i 6s, judgment for plaintiff by default, with costs 10s, Mr Skeet for plaintiff"; J. Alien v. J. H. Mason, claim 15s 3d, judgment for plaintiff by default, with costs 6s ; .same v. R. Hunt, claim £l lGs, judgment for plaintiff by default with costs ; same v. T. Knowles. claim .£1 11s od, judgment for plaintiff by default, with costs ; H. Lewis v. Wi Waikari, claim £3 -Is Id, an order for immediate payment was made, in default three days' imprisonment, execution to be stayed for three months ; T. W. JPorter v. Toromata and another, claim £71 7s Gd, adjourned till to-morrow morning. Mr Chrisp appeared for plaintiff and Mr Day for defendant, I

Tho Preas Association agtnt at Auokla 11 " wires : — Waihora sailed South. Passengers for Gisborne : Mrs Moore ; Misses Adams and Moore. Pettie and Harper have a new announcement on the third page of this issue, calling attention to a choice selection of new hats and bonnets just to hand. Tub Weather. — Weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day: Wind between north-west and west and south at all places northward of Blenheim and Nelson, and between west and south and south-east at all other places. Barometer rise everywhere within 10 hours. Warnings for hard southerly gales and cold weather have been sent to all places. Synopsis of last 2-1 hours : Falling barometer everywhere, but it has also risen since midnight at all places southward of Kaikoura and Hokitika. A good deal of rain has fallen generally, and there have been strong westerly gales. — R. A. Edwin.