New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-22
SALARIES FOR PARLIAMENT.

Another constitutional change is about
to be effected in Great Britain, only
little less significant than the impending
deposition of the House of Lords from
its coordinate rank and the abolition Of
the hereditary principle in its compost
ton. This is the payment of salaries to
members of the House of Commons.
There has been much academic debate
Of the subject for years past and the
Labor members have consistently IA
vOred the payment Of salaries, but It
has not been supposed that the change
would be made for many years yet, if ar
all Mr.. Lloyd George, however, has I'M
eXpectedly introduced into his budget
for this year q clause providing for the
immediate establishment Of the salary
system, and it is TO be assumed that 1t
will be promptly enacted. The Union
lists are largely opposed TO it, but they
are in a minority in the House Of Com
mons and, Of course, under the prin-
ciples Of the Parliament bill which Is
now being pushed to enactment the
the subject, not even TO the extent of
imposing a suspensOry veto.
1t will, Of course, not do to say that
the Chancellor Of the EXchequer is
catering TO Labor and Socialist support,
or that he is trying 10 dish" those
parties by stealing their issues. II is
true that they have advocated this meas
uTe; but ii is equally true that the
salary system prevails elsewhere uni
vcrsally wherever there are parliaments
and that il is as strongly supported by
Conservatives as by Radicals. In Reichs-
tag and Rechsrath, In Chamber of
Deputies and in BOule, in Congress and
liz legislatures, and, most significant
or all. in the parliaments of the self
governing colonies, which form so impOr-
tant parts Of the British Empire itself.
salaries are paid as a matter Of course
and nobody thinks Of proposing their
abolition. The Mother Of Parliaments"
stands singular and alone in unpaid SER
vice Of her members. In these circum-
stances it would be absurd TO regard Mr..
LLOYD Georges proposition as a startling
innovation or as a supine concession 10
Socialism or to Radicalism. The weight
feature Of the parliamentary system
generally accepted. practised and APP
proved throughout the world
The adoption Of the system will never
theless mark great and little short Of
revolutionary change in the House Of
Commons, and therefore in the British
government Just as in the House Of
Lords the principle Of hereditary legis-
latiOn is TO be abolished, so in the Com
mons the tradition Of government by
ccntlemen"-i the artificial sense Of the
words TO be swept away Hitherto
il has been difficult for any but rich men
10 sit in the Commons. The cost Of an
election is from $1,000 10 5000, and
the yearly cost Of registration and other
necessary operations is $1,000 or $500;
In addition TO which the member must
live in London, in good style, during the
most expensive season of the year OBJ
viously. poor men could not do this, nm
less they were assisted by some organiza-
lions. as the Labor members are by the
trade unions and as the Irish members
have long been by contributions from
America, from which we may understand
why the Labor party so fiercely resents
the recent judicial decision forbidding
the use of union funds for such purposes.
But with the payment Of salaries poor
men will be able 10 sit IN Parliament in