Sweeping Reductions in the Government Service

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 111, 12 March 1891, Page 2

Sweeping Reductions in the Government Service

« ; I PER UNITED ' PRESS 1 . ASSOCIATION. J Wellington, March 10. The following is a list of the re- ! ductions in the Public Works and ; Defence Departments referred to a few days ago: — Consulting Engineer Blackot, four district and resident engineers, eleven assistant engineers and draughtsmen, twenty inspectors ; and ten clerks ; the permauent and : temporary saving being £6000 a year. I Defence Department : CommanderI in- Chief, three commanders of districts — Wellington, New Plymouth, and Auckland, several captains of the permanent militia, storekeepers, and i others ; the saving being £3000 a : year.- In addition to this another ■ £12,000 will be saved in connection ' with defence works. Hitherto de- ; fence works done by prisoners have j been charged to the gaols, but this ; will be abolished. The total saving :in defence will be £15,000. Police ! Department : Inspectors J. B. Thomp- | son, S. Moore, A. Thompson, W. A. i Eiley, and S, Goodall are to be re- ! tired, also Mr Fox, Chief Clerk ; the i saving being, salaries £2225, travel- | ling and incidental expenses £500, the j total being £2725. : In the case of Blackett, he is eni titled to a pension of £500 a year, ; and as Consulting Engineer draws I £400 more. If his services are to be | retained this will have to be charged ! to the Agent-General's Department. The retiring allowances that will have to be paid to the above officers is about one year's salary all round. March 11. The reductions in the Civil Service will take effect on 31st March, the necessary compensations being paid out of unauthorised expenditure. In Police Department, the number of police districts is to be lessened, the present ones being amalgamated in sections, and sub-districts being looked after by sergeants. New districts and appointments to them are-^-Nel-son, Westport, Westland, Inspector Achesou ; Auckland and Bay of IsI lands, Inspector Brougham ; Waikato and East Coast, Emerson ; Wauganui and West Coast, McGovern ; Wellington and Blenheim, Pardy ; Christohu'ch atid South. Canterbury, Pender; Dunedin, Invereargiil and Lakes District, Hickaon. In addition to the reductions already detailed, Mr Kirk assistant to Sir James Hector at the Colonial Museum, and Mr Paletrope, wood engraver, are to bo retired, thus affeetiug a saving of £360 per annum ; Captain Edwin is to be transferred to the Marine Department. • These changes mean a reduction of £710 in the vote for the Survey, Meteorological and Geological Department, although the real saving to the country will only be £360.