The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1907. LIBERALITY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13367, 17 August 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1907. LIBERALITY.

It. is interesting to notice that, (lit' member.s (if the Federal House of. Representalives liavo followed the example set by i-lip New Zealand Parliament a, few yiars ago in raising their own salaries without consulting the country. Only a. day or two ago the Acting-Treasurer announced thai, Ik> would consult the members, and if li'.i found that they wen: favourable to th.i change, he would introduce a Bill with the object of increasing the honorarium. There was an immediate protest in the newspapers against this proposal that the politicians should treat themselves Lo extra remuneration without asking the consent of their employers, but as is usual in these cases, the newspaper protests wen conveniently ignored. Yesterday we published a. telegram from Melbourne reporting that the liifi had passed 'ls ■ ■ccoiid rending on the voices, and had al.-o been put through its committee stage, the allowance for a, member of either blanch of the legislature being iixed ai. £6OO. In the face of this substantial amount, (lie famous " £4O steal" perpetrated in this colony n few sessions 'buck shrinks into insignificance, but we tremble to think what may happen now that Xevv Zealand has developed into a dovn'uion, while a record in extravagance rcKa.uis

open Id its attack. "J'liere h always-; a possibility I hat tilt) legislators who thoight it necessary In slriko work in order l'i celebral.- thi'. .Dominion's victory ov.r the t'oininonwcall-h in oarsmanship, niiiv si-dim 111 take il. Second ]llllL-C ill I lie ScieilCO allll art nf passing Hills to increase tlu-ir own salaries. The lend ncy in one which i, bound tn increase in every country where public lift) offers ;t Jiving Id I lie prnft :;- sional politician, iintl it is hard to see what check can bo imposed upon the rapacity of imniben; who tiro invited liy ii, lesponsiblc Minister to assist- him in a raid upon th'.i public eh: st. The electors, it is to hu feared, turn a- very imlulj^cjiL eye h[mhi proc-e-edings of this sort, and of coin's-,- as l<>i>jv us tiny lire prepared i.o be. lie c-.d, no very great, harm is done. It whs evident from llu< results of the la L electiini in New Zealand that the member; wlio had participated in (he "£lO ileal" had noli sullV i\d a loss of reputation in, I heir cunslitiK-ncics, and no doubl, the Federal members will lie equally fortuiia.fc. At (lie saino time it would bo only decent if these additions to members' salaries were proposed prior lo an election instead of being introduced without warning and rushed through in a- day or two as ha.s been ilom. in the Federal I'nrliam-. nt. Wo hope that this courso will be followed if the members of the New Zealand legislature conceive the idea of further -emulating Uieir Ai'i.lraliau neighbours.