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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 585, 21 March 1891, Page 2

The Wellington Post gives a further exposure of some of the false economy of the late Ministry. Under the heading of “How the Oracle was Worked" the following strictures appear in the Post It will probably be remembered that we very frequently drew attention to the fact that when the last Parliament ceased to exist the number of Ministers should, in accordance with the law, have been reduced by one. Nevertheless the number of Ministers continued unaltered from the sth of October until their final resignation late in January, and this although one of their number ceased to be a member of the Legislature early in December. As salaries were provided for the reduced number of members, it was a mystery how the large number managed to draw pay. This has now been explained. It appears that in October Mr Mitchelson, who was supposed to be Acting-Premier, ceased to draw his salary under the Civil List Act, and was paid thereafter from that blessed source known as “ unauthorised.” Why Mr Mitchelson, the senior member of the Cabinet after the Premier himself; was selected to depend on unauthorised expenditure, and continued to be paid from that source, while one of his colleagues without a seat in either House drew a Civil List salary, has not been explained. The whole aflair, the determination shown to keep up ths number of Ministers receiving public money to the last possible moment, in defiance of the law, shows how uttterly unscrupulous the late Ministry was, and how hollow were its pretensions of economy.