CABINET SALARIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 229, 28 September 1931, Page 7

CABINET SALARIES

REDUCED AMOUNT ANNUAL SAVING, £2lOO, The reduction of the size of the Ministry from 14 to 10 as a result of the Coalition will mean an annual sa.ing of £2106 in salaries to Ministers of tho Crown. This reduction has been brought about in spiti of the fact that all ten members of tho new Cabinet are paid, and tha two Ministers in the United Government received no reni’iucration. Under the Civil List Act, 1920, provision was made for an annual vote of £13,000 for the payment of salaries to ton members of the Executive Council, none of whom was to receive more than £l3OO. This was apart, from tho Prime Minister’s salary, which was then fixed at £2OOO. However, as the result of the imposition of two 10 per cent, cuts, the Prime Minister’s salary now stands at £1620, and tho maximum that a Minister can receive has been reduced to £1053. Under an Amendment to the Act in 1926, certain concessions were made for the Native Minister, who also at the time hold tho portfolio of Cook Islands, enabling him to draw tho same salary as European Ministers. This meant that, although its was originally specified that tne Native Minister should not receive the same as the others, he did so in the last Cabinet, thus bringing tho total annual salary bill for the 12 Ministers up to £13,203. including tho amount of the Primo Minister’s allowance. In the present Cabinet, there aro wino Ministers in addition to tho Prime Minister. The Ministers receive £1053, the maximum to which they aro entitled, so that with tho Prime Minister’s salary the total expenditure is £11,097. Taken over a full year, therefore. the reduction in expenditure on salaries for members of tho Cabinet totals £2106.