The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2609, 28 June 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1871.

The proceedings in the Provincial Council, were yesterday marked by two circumstances, a short debate on a proposed branch lino of railway between Oamaru and Waieka, and a rather smart one which ■ tested the feeling of the House in respect to the present Executive. Although from the division on Mr. Shand’s amendment it is plain that Mr. Heid’s tail has lost a few of its more ornamental joints, they have been replaced by others, which work somewhat rheumatically, very much inclined to rebel, but the time has not arrived. In looking over the proposed appropriations, we see many inconsistencies. We presume these will be corrected as the work of voting proceeds. We are not amongst those who desire that the salaries of officers necessary for the work of a department should be reduced. Good officers are not to be obtained unless they are efficiently paid, and bad ones are dear at any price. It is, therefore, undesirable, for the sake of a few pounds annually, to risk losing the services of men who understand what they ere about if the office they fill is necessary to the public service. But one consequence it the inaction of the late Reid government, has been to retain a large body of officers with only half work. For instance, the expenses of the Crown Lands and Survey Department were little more when the land sales were LI 20,000 annually than for the past two years during which they were only about one quarter that sum. This adds to the loss the Province has already sustained in the war waged by the settlers on the sqnatters and no ingenuity uur sophistry can absolve Mr Reid from being the chief champion in the matter. That his followers will go with him no matter where fie leads, was plain by the division yesterday. It ought to have been patent to the House that when Mr Cargill led up to Mr Shand’s amendment for sending back the Estimates, and when he was supported by Mr Turnbull and Mr Haughton, pliere was good reason to suppose they migh£ have been materially reduced. There aw some departments that cannot be dispensed with. We cannot, for instance, dispense with the police—we would not, if we could, curtail expenditure in education ; but taking into considertion the small amounts that can be appropriated to roads and works for the ensuing year—only £60,000 —--it seems strange that salaries and contingencies amounting in the gross to £15,562 17s 2d should be required to prepare and superintend the work. We do not know what the intention of the late Executive was; but when it is considered that both Mr Cargill and Mr Turnbull have had long experience in the management of large concerns, and that Mr Haugiiton has had much departmental practice, wo are bound to believe they would uo t have committed themselves to an opinion they are not fully prepared to substantiate. We are quite aware that Governments cannot conduct their departmental work so economically as private firms—at least there never has been an instance of its being done. But the more nearly the working of Governments can be asrimUafod to the simple and efficient organisation of mercantile or manufacturing establishments the better. We do not doubt that every man in each department is quite prepared to give full value for the amount of salary ho receives, and, if his whole time is devoted to the service, fie deserves to be paid to the full what that time would be worth if employed. But in mercantile establishments, departments are made to dovetail into each other, so that only one man is required .to do one man’s work; while in Govern ments, as a rule, the departments are so divided that two er three persons arc required to do what one man could easily get through, Wfi believe bad Mr Cargill remained in office tfiig waste of talent, labor, and money, would have been to a great extent remedied. This would have effected a reduction on a sound basis, and would have differed very materially from the plan that has been adopted of unequal 1 cutting down of salaries, in many cases of men who are uot over-paid for the

work they do. We do not believe that the public - are fully aware of the financial extremity to' which tbe-Prd-viuce has really been reduced. They see the adverse balance of £97,000, and are led to believe that that represents the whole indebtedness. But that is not the case. Even the poor and destitute suffer through the subsidies to benevolent Institutions being withheld. The public have been appealed to lately more urgently than before on behalf of the Benevolent Institute, and with reason ; for they are crippled in their power to aid the distressed and destitute, because the Govei’nment subsidy is not yet paid. Thus in every way the cramping policy of the last two years has worked badly. It has paralysed trade, induced poverty and destitution through stopping work, and intensified its sufferings by crippling the means of relieving it. And what have we in return for this obstinate refusal to proceed with settlement? A full acknowledgment of error so far as public works are concerned, but unfortunately a promise of prolongation of stagnation so far as the land system is involved.