PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 5, 22 August 1911, Page 7

PAYMENT OF MEMBERS.

Now that t fitCpayment of members lias been adopted by the House of Commons, ,it is interesting to note that Italy, Spain, and Portugal are the only countries which adhere to the principle of non-payment. The, following list shows the rates of pay in countries where members are paid:— FOREIGN COUNTRIES.' i Salary. Austria, 16s Sd a day during session. Hungary, £2OO a year. Bavaria, 10s a day during essio.i. Belgium, £l6O a year. Bulgaria, 16s a day during sessmu Denmark, 11s a day during session. Franco, £3OO a year. Germany, £l5O a year. Greece, £72 a session. Hesse-Darnistadt, 9s a day and 3s :i night during session. Italy, nil. Netherlands, 16s 8d a day during cession. Norway, 13s a day.. Portugal, nil. Rumania, 16s 8d a day during session. Russia, £1 Is lijd a day during cession. Saxony, 12s a day during session. Sorvia, 12s a day during session. Spain, nil. Sweden, 11s a day during session. Switzerland, 16s a day during see-

non. United States, £IOOO a year. BRITISH COLONIES. Cana'ls, £SOO each session of more than 80 days. If less than 30 days, £ I a day. Australian Commonwealth, £4OO a year. Now Zealand, £3OO a year. ‘.Tasmania, £IOO a year. West Australia, £2OO a year. South Australia, £2OO a year. Queensland, £3OO a year. New South Wales, £3OO a year. Victoria, £3OO a year. Union of South Africa, £4OO a year. Nearly every Legislature has drawn up a particular code of rules for th? purpose of ensuring vogruar attendnice. Many of the States deduct a day’s pay for each day a member is absent, except in case of illness; others impose a line ,of irrim £1 to £3 a day for non-attendance l . The American legislator has taken great pains to ensure that lie is the heft paid representative in the world. Indeed, it is not his fault that he is not paid a groat deal more than £IOOO a year. From the very start of the Constitution in 1787 lie received about

£1 4s for each day’s attendance and an allowance into the bargain. In 1318 ho raised his salary to £1 12s, and in 1856 ho voted an advance to £6OO per annum. Ten years later he fixed his salary at £IOOO, and in 1873 he persuaded himself that he was not only worth £ISOO per annum, hut that ho had been really underpaying himself for a long time. Accordingly the £SOO increase was made retrospective, but the nation protested so strongly that the Act was repealed, and the salary remains at £IOOO to this day.