Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1892.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11847, 21 July 1893, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1892.

" Mr Speaker" of the House of Bepiesen? tatiyes is evidently just as determined. os the Opposition not tohave the privileges of tho House trodden under foot • by -the Government. In a' memorandum helms laid on the table] 1 - of the^H^ijse, , he. 'guts', ifortlv two Vel-y important questions :ip,r settlement by Parliament. I Tli'e' questions ask whether the officers of the Hansard staff and the interpreters are to be termed officers of the House, and whether it is proper that during the recess any of the clerks, assistants, or other officers of the House, should be at the disposal, or under the control of the Government. This last matter is one of Considerable importance, and the simple fact that it has boen rendered necessary, shows that the Government must have been acting in an extraordinary manner. The difference between the Government and the Speaker, as tho Otago Daily Times points out, arose in May of last year, when the Cabinet decided that whatevor labour was required by the departments must be supplied through the Labour Bureau. As this decision extended to the mesßengers engaged in the session, the Speaker at once protested, and the correspondence which thereupon ensued between himself and the Minister for Public Works Was forwarded by the Premier. Tho Speaker also made proposals to the Premier whereby the Labour Bureau might be utilised, whilst at the same time the officers of the Legislative Department would be kept independent of Government control. The privileges of private members must necessarily suffer if the officers of Parliament are to be made entirely dopendent upon the Government of the day. They lire not the servants of ministers, but of tho House, and as suoh they look to the Speaker for instructions, and not to the Government. So far as yet transpired the Government had not the courtesy to respond to the Speaker's proposals for an arrangement of the difficulty which had arisen. Some time afterwards, when the House was in session, Mr Seddon showed what little intention Ministers had of recognising the Speaker's claims by an announcement that the Government intended to make use of the interpreters, Messrs O'Horke and Rutherford, in the recess, for Government work, al'owing them one month's holiday after each session. The Speaker, of course, once more protested. He showed that Mr Rutherford's time was amply occupied during the recess, he had not more than one month's holiday a year as it was, and that was taken at intervals, and a day or so at a time. He "also drew attention to the fact that other officers mentioned held sessional appointments. Nowithstanding the Speaker's protest the cngagegement of Messrs Rutherford, O'Rorke, Harnlin, and Blair, was determined, and at the same time these gentlemen were told that the Government were ready to enter into new arrangements with' them. Once more the authority of tho Speaker was set at nought, and once more he intervened. He stated clearly that although the Government assorted that they were actingat " the instance of Parliament," he could rind no record of anything to substantiate such an assertion. The Speaker then simply asked that the decision of the House should be taken on the matter. The Government, however, were obdurate, and they were left in possession of the interpreters. Not content with setting the Speaker in defiance so pointedly over this affair, Ministers repeated their offence only a fow weeks ago by the appointment of two civil servants to positions on the Hansard staff. Last year the Hansard reporters wore very much overworked, and outside assistance had to be obtained. This being tho state of affairs the Chief Reporter recommended that the service of an extra reporter should be obtained at an initial salary of £2»0 per annum.' He recommended Mr A. M. Kay, an experienced journalist, for the position. The Gcvernmeut refused to make the appointment, although the chief reporter pointed cut that it would really mean a saving. On June 7th of this year, howover, they appointed tho Colonel Secretary's' private secretary, Mr W. A. Russell, to tho position, at a salary of £300. Ton days after that when Mr Parkinson resigned his position on the staff, Mr Kay was again recommended, only to be once more passed over in favour of a private secretary. .This gentleman, Mr H. M. Gore, receives the same salary as Mrliussell, and both are under arrangements with the Government by which their services are to bo used during their recess, in order as the Government say, to save money. • It is a great absurdity to appoint to the Hansards staff, shorthand writers who have hud no journalistic training, as, we boliove, is the ease with those under notice. Tho independence of Parliament is on-

dangered by the Government in taking the 1 appointment of its servants out of the hands of its executive uilicer, the Speaker. Q . Major Stewart strongly disapproves of it, v lihd he has taken some trouble in tho g matter. He has put himself in communication with the Speaker's cf other Australasian Parliaments, and ho has found them unanimous in asserting the import- h ance of the House, and its representative, t tho Speaker, being kept absolutely free from « tho control ot the Executive. The Speaker " of the South Australian Assembly puts tho a matter very clearly, ho says : — " Our Govern- 0 ment claim uo authority or control whatever s over the ollicers oi Parliament ; and it would bo most unconstitutional if they attempted to R do so, as they might exorcise this authority p in a partisan spirit, whereas the officers of j Parliament should be entirely independftnt j of any Government interference. This is go far recognised in our colony that the I olerks can only be removed by a vote oil their respective . Houses." The Speakers of J Queensland, NcwSouth Wales, and Tasmania : write to the same effect, whilst in Victoria J the question has never been raised — that is, they havo never had a Seddon Ministry over thore. Not in a single one of theso ' colonies are the Parliamentary officers em- * ployed during the rocess. We need say < nothing more to show what an undesirable - departure from Parliamentary custom our 1 present Government have made. We hope \ Major Stewart will persist in his protest, and 1 ultimately convince Ministers that their pro- < ceedings are both objectionable and unconstitutional. 1