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Function and purpose

This series consists of one file containing three documents relating to the Hughes Cabinet in which Stanley Melbourne Bruce was Treasurer from 21 December 1921 to 9 February 1923.  A handwritten letter marked ‘confidential’ from William Morris Hughes to Bruce, dated 15 December 1921, refers to delays in making cabinet arrangements.  A four page cabinet memorandum dated 8 August 1922 (two copies one with the last page missing), proposes a 20% reduction in the parliamentary members’ allowance due to national economic circumstances but warns against a decrease in salaries for civil servants.  The memorandum also refers to the Public Service Bill before parliament and proposes an amendment to the Arbitration (Public Service) Act 1920 to only legislate for public servants earning below a certain wage. 

The file also contains two copies of a signed covering note written by Lord Bruce on 2 November 1959 explaining that he submitted the memorandum to Cabinet when he was Treasurer but that the proposal regarding parliamentary allowances did not eventuate.  Further, he writes that he considered raising the issue of reductions in parliamentary allowances again in 1928 but decided against it.

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