PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2614, 4 July 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Yesterday. At the evening sitting the amended estimates were brought down, and in moving that the House go into committee of supply, the Provincial Secretary explained that the Government had gone fully into the matter of retrenchment in the departmental expenditure, and the rtsult had fully confirmed the Government in the opinion they previously held, that there could be no material reduction by amalgamation of offices —that in fact the present staff of officials was fully employed in carrying on the bus nest of the Province—and that any reductions that

might be made must of necessity be effected by a reduction of salaries. The total reduction would result in an actual annual saving of L7,0(30 ; but it was not proposed, if the items were carried in committee in the way they appeared on the estimates, that the reductions should have immediate effect. It was proposed to give three mouths notice to officials, leaving it optional with them whether they would remain iu the service of the Province at the expiry of that time ; but the Government would require to he informed within a mouth from the date of notice what course the officer would take in order that time might be given to fill up his place properly before the end of the three months, in the event of him determining to leave the service. Thus the saving for the current year would be only L&800. He could not disguise from himself that many members who had been so anxious for reductions in the departmental expenditure would now probably be the loudest against the manner in which they had been carried out. They would be told for instance that the rule of thumb process had been applied. He was bound to say that during the many years he had held a seat iu the Council, while ho had frequently heard the cry for retrenchment, he had never yet seen any reduction in the departmental expenses of Government. He was convinced if members were in earne t in regard to this matter, they would not effect any material reductions in any other way than by reducing salaries. There was just one other point to which he wished to direct attention, and it was one worthy of the consi lerationof members. At the present time when any officer was discharged form the service, he was entitled to a retiring allowance equal to one month’s pay for every year he had been iu the employ of the Province. He thought . it was not fair that not only should salaries be reduced, but that at the time the officer came to be discharged the retiring allowance should be computed from the date of the reduction in salary. The fairer way would be to compute the retiring allowance on the average salary which any officer had been receiving daring the time he had been in the employ of the Government. Mr Haughton expressed his total disapproval of the manner in which retrenchment was being carried out. He certainly thought reductions might he made by amalgamating offices; but he objected to the cutting down of individual salaries, the effect of which would be disastrous not only to the ivil Service of the Province, but to the Civil Service of the Colony, He did not blame the Provincial Secretary for the action he had taken ; he had been forced to it by his supporters. It could only have the effect of bringing into the Government service the riff-raff of the population. Every man who was able to do so would leave the service; and any father who sent his sou into it ought to be sent to the nearest lunatic asylum. As he had before said, he was firmly convinced that the business of the country could be carried on at half its present cost. He would reduce the numbeqjof officers ; he would give those that remained plenty of work and good pav. After a few remarks by Mr Shepherd Dr Webster, and Mr Shand, the House went into committee of supply. On the item Superintendent L9OO, it was explained that provision was made for three months at LIOOO, hut the salary in future would be LBOO a year. On the item of Provincial Secretary, Treasurer and Secretary for Land and Works, L 416 13s 4d, a discussion took place as to the advisability of appointing three non-official members at L 125 each. Objection was made to the vote, on the ground that it was not necessary to strengthen the Government in the way indicated. Mr Lumsden characterised the vote as permitting of a bait to he held up before members, like a branch of carrots be fore the noses of the .Northern donkeys—the originality of which simile was questioned by Mr Shepherd, who claimed to he original in remarking that al! that non-offiicial members did was to vote for the Government, for which they did not require to be paid. '1 he vote was defended by the Provincial Secre tary, who repeated the argument that he had used on a former occasion, that it was deemed advisable to appoint gentlemen who might he looked upon as confidential agents of the Government in remote districts of the Province. One such member was actually necessary ; as, besides being required for the purpose he had named, it was necessai-y that there should be a quorum of the Executive iu Dunedin during the absence of the Superintendent and the other members of the Government, whose legislative duties required their attendance in Wellington. Mr Duncan appeared to think that useful non-official members could be obtained with paying them, and pointed out that a previous Government had found such members gave a good deal of valuable assistance. After a good deal of discussion, Mr Lurasdcn’s motion, practically reducing the number of non-official members from three tp one was carried, the voting being as follows : —Ayes, 20 —Basstian, Cargill (teller), Clark, Daniel, i river, Galbraith, Green, Haughton (teller), Holmes, Lumsden, Meuzies, M‘Arthur, M'Glashan, M'Lean, Bcynolds, Seaton, Shand, hhQphcrd, Turnbull, Webster. Noes, 17 —Allan, Armstrong, Barr, Barton, Bradshaw (teller), Brown, J C., Cutten (teller), Gillies, Henderson, Hutcheson, Mervyn, Mollison, M‘Kenzie, lleid, Smith. ; he remaining items under the heading ■ f Executive Council were passed, alter slight discussion, without amendment. On the item “Speaker, L150—L127 16s 5J,” the Speaker explained that in the retrenchment he had recommended, he had accepted an intimation given by the Council that the reductions should he at the rate of 25 per cent. Without waiting for the issue of that question, he had determined to make the reductions in his department at that rate, and had reduced the salaries of Speaker and Chairman of Committees accordingly. As to the dispensing with the services qi one of the clerks, ho stated that the clerk of t ! . o Council had for some time part contemplated resigning his position, in consequence of his being physically unable to perform the arduous Unties of his office, and ho (the Speaker) had tin ught it Lis duty to recommend the retaining of tiie services of the assistant clerk, who, he thought, was fully qualified to fulfil the duties of clerk, both as regarded physical ability and general competency. The Speaker went on to explain that he thought it unnecessary to retain the services of a sergeant-at-arms, the duties of which office could be undertaken by the police. Two amendments to reduce the Speaker’s salary were negatived. The remaining items under the same head were agreed to as read, as were those under the head “Provincial Secretary and Tieasurcr.” On the item “ Police ” a discussion took place. In answer to Mr Bcynolds, the Provincial Secretary said while it was quite possible many members of the pplice force might

leave the service in consequence of the proposed reduction of pay, there had been no expression of opinion to that effect by the Commissioner. He agreed that the police were not overpaid at present, but the Government had been left no choice in the matter. Mrßirton urged a a reasons why the reduction should not take place—That any reduction in the pay would cause the retirement of the old members of the force, and of necessity impair its efficiency ; and that the men had already submitted to a reduction of 15 per cent., which had not taken place iu any other department. Mr Mervyn moved that the reduction should not exceed Cd. After some further discussion, the item was agreed to as printed. The House then adjourned.