DAY BY DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14539, 10 December 1920, Page 4

DAY BY DAY

The Prince of Wales is indeed a national asset. In his speech Th.e Message at the reception acof corded him at GuildThe Prince. hall he demonstrat-

ed that during his recent tour of the Empire he closely studied things from the Imperial aspect. and saw the weaknesses as well as the strength of the present conditions. His tour lias not been a pleasure trip to him; it was undertaken from a sense of duty with a view lo fitting him for his future career, and by it he has drawn closer the many parts of our scattered Empire, roused the pride of race, quickened the national sentiment and revived affection for the throne. His personal popularity admits of no doubt, for enthusiastic as were welcomes accorded him at all places visited overseas, they were equalled, if not excelled, by that accorded him upon his return to the Home Land, for a journal of irreproachable sobriety observes: "Such a whole-hearted, enthusiastic, and even tumultuous welcome as the Prince received from the citizens of London has not been surpassed by any similar event in the past 25 years. It was not only delightfully ardent and real as few ceremonial occasions are real, but it was refreshingly new, and affectionate, and personal. The Prince of Wales, in brief, is far and away the most popular subject of the King today, and his popularity extends to all classes of the community.". When the King, his father, returned home from his overseas tour he electrified the nation by littering a note of warning to n people apparently inclined to take things too easily, in spite of gathering stress—namely, "Wake up, England!" The Prince has returned from his tour with another clarion call, "Pull together!" If that call is heard-and heeded by the peoples to whom it is addressed, all will be well.

Cur cablegrams yesterday'indicated that there is a diversity of Payment opinion in New South of Wales regarding the Politicians, payment of members. The Progressives and the Nationalists, it was said, purposed voting against the proposed increase, and objection was taken to the principle that politics should be looked upon as a means of securing a livelihood rather than as an avenue of rendering disinterested service to one's country. Certainly when members of the New South Wales Legislature decided to go in for an increase they went about the business most circumspectly. Mr Justice Edmunds was appointed a Royal Commission on Parliamentary Allowances with the object of deciding what was a fair return for political services. His icport shows that he took considerable pains to arrive at a just decision. He took first into consideration members' election expenses, which he put clown ;:t £l5O spread over three years. Then it occurred to him that "no man in a prominent public position could, or should, escape reasonable contribu -' lions" to public charities and other public objects, so he set down £2O for this purpose. Expenses of attendance at Parliament he estimated at 10s a day for 2G weeks, and cost of securing assistance in a member's private or Parliamentary work at £l5O a year. Travelling expenses were assessed at £SO, and the maintenance of a member's home at £0 7s per week. He therefore, reported that an adequate annual salary or allowance for members of the Assembly would be £875 per annum. He added: "I am unable to base the computation of the allowance as salary upon commercial principles, because the. contracting control which compels the performance of a salaried officer's duties and the commercial uiles for the estimation of the value of services rendered in performance of a contract cannot be applied in this case." This was delicately put. It would indeed be difficult to fix some members' allowances on the basis of "value of services rendered."