The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3059, 16 April 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1881.

The report of Mr Bunny's address to his Wairarapa constituents, as published in in the New Zealand Times, differs somewhat from that which was telegraphed. Mr Bunny appears to have made a short and sensible Bpeech. He said that when the Government took office, the financial affairs of the colony were in a critical position, and it was necessary to make both ends meet. A property tax had been imposed, and Custom duties increased. The property tax bad done very well, but the Custom duties had not reached the amount collected in the previous year. He approved of a property and income tax. Majoi- Atkinson bad said that the country was paying an income tax through the Customs duties, but he dissented from this opinion. The Customs duties did not reach men of large properties, but impinged unfairly on men of moderate incomes. The Customs duties levied an amount of a million of money, but took a million and a half out of consumers. He would like to see tea and sugar duties reiuiposed, because they were cheap to collect and no one felt the levy. He did not approve of a uniform reduction of ten pr: cent, in the Civil Service, as it was unfair to men of small incomes. He hoped that next year a new principle would be introduced, assessing men's salaries according to their wants. Fe would reduce the education vote t~" £100,000 a-year. Those people wto wanted education above the fourth standard should pay for it. Great retrenchment w<is wanted in Government Buildings; that was the place where the money could be saved. Taking the Audit Department, the auditor could go on a visit to Australia, showing plainly men could do without it. No department was in a worse condition. Messrs Batkin and Seed had made a tour through the Islands, and their department tad been better conducted in their ab .«, and he hoped they would be patriotic enough to say that they themselves were superfluous members of the Civil Service. He would like to know the men reduced, men discharged, and the fresh men appointed. Tbe management of the public works was very bad indeed. Nothing could be done without the Governor-in-Council. Local managers had no power and had to go to Mr Maxwell for the smallest affairs. He quoted the rise in the tariff for the carriage timber. He went to Mr Ashcroft, who told turn he knew nothing about the matter. Relative to native affairs he entirely supported the action Mr Bryce intended to take. The Press supported Mr Bryce, who he thought was the best Native Minister the colony ever had, but his colleagues were faint-hearted and Mr Bryce resigned. Te Whiti was the harborer of murderers, and the colony would not stand tbe expenditure going on, which resulted in our being only laughed at in not repressing the natives by force. Mr Bryce could have settled the whole matter in one week, and he ought to have been allowed to do as he pleased. No country in the world was overwhelmed like this one with a Government so despotic in its character. The Government permanent heads of departments had no responsibility. They had no representative Government, and when members went to Government at times they could not get a civil answer. They had gooe into the importing line, and had imported an inspector of prisons and of asylum-, and the public could see how the importations were doing their work. He was entirely opposed to county government as being very costly and an. utter failure ; and they would have to go back to some modified form of provincialism. He wanted the Government to depart from the proposal not to borrow, but would like a million raised for roads and bridges. That was the only way to get the people on the land, and the Government would be wise to borrow for that purpose. He gave the Government last session a fair and reasonable support, as he disbelieved in frequent changes of Government. Mr Hall looked to English bondholders, and it would be unwise to dishearten the present Government while retrenchment was going on. He would support the present Government unless they brought down unwarrantable measures. Some of the present Ministers were great duffers, but he hoped to see them replaced by eligible men—men who would not stand in the way of others. He disliked a multitude, but let them bring down some simple measures and stick to them, or go out. He wanted a bill introduced whereby men should have only one vote and no more, to reduce the expenses of elections. The last election cost Messrs Beetham, Buncy, and Pharazyn £1,300. The Triennial Bill was the most Conservative measure conceivable. Nomination should be done in writing. The plan of the Government for redistributing seats, having only one member, would reduce expense considerably.