Mr. W. M. WATSON:

It will surprise many in Scotland to know that, while these expenses may be paid to members of the county council attending meetings of that council, they are not to be paid for any loss of time or any expenses for attending meetings of the district council. The district council will be largely composed of members of the county council, and the only other members of the district council will be those elected either from parishes or from wards of parishes. When it is found that members of the county council will be compensated for any loss that they may sustain in attending meetings of that council, and no compensation is to be paid for attending meetings of the district council, there will be surprise and great indignation in Scotland. As soon as this is known, if county councillors attach any importance to travelling expenses or expenses for personal loss, the tendency will be to put as much work in the hands of the county council as they possibly can, and to refuse to give the district council the work that we had expected this council would be asked to do under this Bill. We were expecting and hoping that a large part of the work of the county council would be delegated to the district council, and if district councillors are not to be paid for their expenses, the tendency will be to keep as much work in the county council as possible.

Those who have been considering this matter are of opinion that county councillors who are serving on the district council will be simply looked upon as members of a sub-committee of the county council. In truth, that is exactly what members of the district council will be, and they will be surprised when they read an Act of Parliament which says that members attending meetings of the county council may be paid, but members attending a sub-committee of the county council cannot be paid. Here is the most important sub-committee of the county council—meeting in a different place it is true—and no expenses are to be paid in their case. I am certain that as soon as the district council is set up, the right hon. Gentleman will have representations made to him to amend this Bill. I can understand the position of the right hon. Gentleman with regard to the burgh council, for in their case little has to be paid by way of travelling expenses, and the meetings are usually held at the time when no loss of work is entailed. But I want to point out to the right hon. Gentleman that the district committee of the county council is the corresponding body to the new district council which is to be set up, and that the men who have been attending the meetings of the district committee of the county council have had to pay a great deal in travelling expenses, and have lost work; and the same thing will take place when the district council is set up. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will reconsider the matter, and will agree that this new district council is going to be looked upon as a sub-committee of the county council, and not as a separate body. It will be a most important sub-committee of the county council, and men who are attending its meetings are as much entitled to their expenses as the county councillors.