THE COLONIST. Published Daily- Morning. Nelson, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 1907. A WELL PAID OFFICIAL.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12018, 20 August 1907, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Daily- Morning. Nelson, Tuesday, Aug . 20, 1907. A WELL PAID OFFICIAL.

What has been called "a remarkable disclosure" was made while the > Customs Department estimates were under consideration, a few evenings ago. in Committee of Supply of the House of Repreaentatives. MrDavey, i the member for Christohuroh East, asked the Minister for Customs , whether it was a fact tbat the Ghief Customs Expert was receiv nga salary of £800 a year, and at the . same time drawing thirty shillings per day -travelling allowance, whether he travelled or not. The reply of the Hon. J. A. Millar was that "the statement is absolutely correct. The officer received his appointment in 1888 under tbe late Sir Henry Atkinson at £800 per annum, with 30s per day travelling allowance, to be paid whether he travelled or not. That had been going^on since^lßßß up to the present time. The matter is now under consideration of the Ministry, and ao alteration will be made. It was only brought under my notice by the member for Christchurch East a short time ago." The Minister went on^ to say that there was no written agreement, but there had been a distinct understanding as to the payment, borne out by letters from the late Sir Harry Atkinson and Mr Ballance. Mr Millar added that Sir Harry Atkinson put the Customs Expert on the Estimates for a aalary of £800 beoause the House would not stand any more, but sanctioned the payment of the travelling expenses. He also said that whatever salary the officer is to get will appear on the Estimates in future. The Leader of the Opposition said the statements made would cause the greateest uneasiness in the mind of the public, who would want to know if there were any similar transactions^bein g covered up in the Estimates. To this the Premier replied that he was not responsible. He did not believe there were any similar transactions. Tbe proper thing to do was^to deal with the matter, and not slur the memory of those who were dead and gone without enquiry. Their idea had been to save the Colony a great dealjof money, and they had done so. In his opinion the money ought tp have been put on the Estimates from the start. The motives of thosawho made: the arrangement should be 1 enquired into before any judgment, j was given on the subject. : j . In tbe appropriations for last year 1

provision was made for the Expert's ' salary, £800, and also for a lump sum of .£IBOO for travelling allowances and expenses in connection with the Customs Department, and evidently it wa3 from this latter provision that the Expert was pai d £546 for travelling allowance, making his total receipt-, for the year £1816. It, may tie feinenibered that Mr Shannon, a member cl a then well-known Wellington firm, was specially appointed after a ravision of the tariff when protective duties were imposed, with a view to checking invoices and preventing evasions of duty, and be. has been credited with having performed good_w ork for the Colony. He Jhas drawn a very large sum from the Exchequer, and has done so in accordance with the conditions under which he joined the service, so that he has siniply acted , within his rights, and the arrangement having once been made it has been continued as a matter of course. It is quite understandable that the exigencies of nineteen years ago necessitated the appointment of a competent and trustworthy man, and that it was a wise thing to give the remuneration required by such a man, . but it certainly was not right that the full payment was not disclosed, for if such a method became common it would open the door to a deal of wrong. ,it is, however, a wholesome sign that this was admitted by all who took part in the recent debate. It may be accepted, too, that those who we_e privy to the arrangement in 1888 believed that it was in the bekt interests of the Colony. But since thafc time there have been further tariff revisions, and there have' been remissions of duties on many lines, so that it would appear to an outsider that the duties of a Chief Expert would be materially decreased, and, to say the least, it is extremely^doubtful if so large a | salary would have been continued all these years if the full amount had been known.