FRIENDS IN THE HOUSE.

West Coast Times, Issue 580, 3 August 1867, Page 2

FRIENDS IN THE HOUSE.

TO THE EDITOK OF THE WJEST COAST TIMES.

. Sie,—^t notice in a little publication issued in tho town a statement to the effect that the salai-ies of many Government officials had been raised, that it was likewise worthvetf -nSte' that tho recipients of t|i&-4cgreased salaries were the personal-mends of our representatives. This Hltle fiction (for such it proves to be) appeared |o me to demand some investi' gation, and I hare been at some" paifls td obtain a sight ,tif a ctirr'ec'ted. copy of tbc 1 Es'tihiates, and having at last seen them, discover that throughout the whole of the West Coast Estimates there is only one single case of any salary being raised. The exception is in the case of Mr Sales' housekeeper (whoever that individual may be), the present salary being fixed at tho sum of LlO4 per annum, which can hardly be considered extravagant. Not being in the confidence of " our representatives" I am unable to state positively whether" they are the "personal friends" of thdt gentleman (or lady) who fills the distinguished office I have alluded to, but I really think that those who consider themselves the leaders of public opinion should endeavor to keep as near tke truth as possible.

Although we cannot expect the editors of a certain class of papers to be men of much political knowledge or experience, still the most degraded members of the " Fourth Estate" have usually a certain amount of shrewdness which leads them to enquire at least to some extent the truth of any statement they may hear in their pot house rambles, or to separate the images of their groggy dreams from the stern realities of waking life. I am, &c, Wide-Awake.