12 JUNE 1915, Page 2

In the Commons on Tuesday a resolution was proposed providing

for a salary of £5,000 for the Minister of Munitions. The critics were again persistent Sir Henry Dalziel asked whether it were true that Ministers bad arranged, "behind the back of Parliament," to pool their salaries, and whether the new Minister would actually receive the £5,000. Sir A. Markham foolishly spoke of the excellent beginning towards equalizing the pay of Cabinet Ministers as a system for " dividing the spoils." Mr. Asquith was moved to an unfamiliar degree of anger, and spoke of his pain and surprise at listening to these remarks. Ministers were free to spend their salaries as they liked, and if they chose to spend them in equalizing the salaries of Cabinet Ministers that was not a matter which concerned the House. We have written fully on this subject elsewhere. The Bill for creating the Ministry of Munitions was discussed again. An amendment, moved by Sir John Simon, was adopted withholding from the Minister the power to impose penalties on men for exercising their liberty of action as hitherto.