New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-24

LONDON, April 9.-Being mem
her Of Parliament is not all beer and
skittles these days. AS matter Of
fact with beer at 15 cents a glass. and
with the obsolescence Of the game ~
skitt!es Parliamentary life does not
permit OF indulgence in either.
If Britain pays it's ambassador. and
diplomats we'll Gas it does). it Ger
ta'niy seems to neglect the 600 odd
men whom it returns to Westminster
They draw $4,000 a year each Count
ing the pound sterling at it's nom;na,
value OF So. and many of them are
protesting that it is impossible FOR
them TO live on that amount Comnaroa
with the $500 which American Cow
eressmen receive. the compensation If
inc M. p. seems pitifully small. md
"nen one considers that they not onlv
nave 10 meet tho cost Of life in Lon
p pom' she most expensive place in tho
n a'c;a Isles. but that the also often
l"an"'ain separate households in their
can r oas:Licts, one wonders how they
nneir answer is that thew don,+
Inc Member of Parliament IL MT
assured OF four-ycar term. An nd
verse majority any day in the course
VI DIVISION may precipitate a 0eneral
eiectlon, IN which individual 1nemhers
may or may not be reelected TheH
cannot afford to transfer their wholss
uomestlc headquarters to London ~
me assumption that they will be hers
Tor fixed stay. 10 "eie
~ ne e oid theory was that members of
s sne louise OF Commons should serve
an,v ~" n, ;+ LORDS 40, without pay. 1t is
mat any salary at all has been rrsn 10
mem and even to-day there arc
wealthy members who do not dra
Only $1,000 a Year Left
For Support of Family
Before the war $4,000 was ,,r, IN
~nlch family could live in London ~,
comfortably, even could afford w.
caslona! Injuries. The demand that u
Dc made possible for a Door mar ~
enter Parliament without beinr suhs;.
oized by, some party or group seemed
10 nave been fully met. To-day. With
normal income tax of 16 per cent
on al except the first $3.50 of their
". rises TO 33 per cent on
salaries OF more than $4,000 and with
the cost of living, as ascertained bv
lndex numbers of various commodities
az ieast 100 per cent above the pre-
war level, it simply can't be done.
Inc testimony given before a select
committee of Parliament, which was
instituted to inquire into the wide-
spread demand for more salary. ha q
just been made public. The committee
ny the way, recommended that no
change be made in the compensation.
put that first class railway tickets be
tween the members constituencies and
London and free postage be granted
them. They do not now possess the
rlgnt OF ranking mail matter.
Inc frank revelations Of some of the
VI. rs before this committee form an
interesting human document..W. Adam
son, once chairman Of the Labor party.
Tor instance, sits for West Fife, Scot
land. His season ticket between his
constituency and London costs him
$3.50 year. He estimated the cost of
sleeping car accommo dations would be
another $500. Hotel expenses in Lon
don take $500 Certainly modest sum,
as any one knows London hotels TO-DAY
Will testify, and postage accounts for
go, with donations to charity sim
liar figure. Mr.. Adamson evidently is
forced to forego sleeping cars, how
ever, since his total expenses, without
that item. amount to $3.50. leaving
him $l2o for the support of his home
and family, for clothing and for all
miscellaneous expenses. His estimate