THE COLONIAL COST OF TARANAKI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 8, 28 September 1880, Page 2

THE COLONIAL COST OF TARANAKI.

» In last Thursday's issue of the Wairarapa Standard we notice an able article under the above heading, in which our contemporary shows the actual cost to the Colony of the Provincial District of Taranaki. Omitting all reference to services not separately and distinctively charged in the estimates — " such as judicial, legislative, and others of which no approximate estimate even can be found without a large amount of trouble and care " — our contemporary has gone carefully through the estimates, both ordinary and Public Works, with a view to ascertaining the amount the garden of New Zealand draws from the Colonial exchequer. The Standard pioceeds to describe the province of Taranaki as in acreage one- thirtieth of the Colony, and in population one forty-fifth. The total amount on the estimates for expenditure in Taranaki during the current year is £859,681, but from this may be deducted £175,000 for " contingent defence," leaving " the sum of £184,681 asked to be disbursed from the public fiiuds upon 10,000 people." Our contemporary proceeds : — " Assuming that the expenses of government were the same all over New Zealand we arrive at the remarkable result that no less a sum than £8,308,895 would have to be voted annually by the Legislature for the Government and maintenance of the colony, excluding from consideration the interest on our public debt, and the £370,000 per annum for fixed and permanent charges. Should, however, the item of contingent defence be included, the amount would be almost doubled ; and on the population basis of calculation our standing annual expenditure would be about £15,000,000 sterling,without providing for interest on our debt and fixed charges." Having thus dealt with current expenditure our contemporary goes into the moneys this favored Province has received from loans. On the basis of mean population, from 1870 to 1879 Taranaki., was entitled to receive £292,645 out of the £14,671,458 spent in loans. It actually received £485,509, " exclusive of the £200,000 Harbour Board loan which the Colony will yet have to take over." Turning then • to Taranaki revenue, the Standard, shows that " for the nine years end-* ing 1879 the mean revenue of Taranaki has only been £18,882, and in the whole period, she has only con* tributed £124,487 towards her main, tenance out of £18,681,167 tk

whole of the Provincial districts have collected. Keeping this remarkable province as the one forty-fifth part oi the Colonial unit, it will be seen thai had the other provinces for nine years contributed in revenue in the same proportion as Taranaki, their gross revenue would have been only £5,6Q1,915 instead of £18,681,167." But {fejfcaps the most glaring proof of the manner in which Taranakihas been favoured, or in which the jobbery of its politicians has been most successful, is in the matter of railways. The cost of the Taranaki section, as pet Railway Commission report, amounted to £181,000, and a table attached to the Public Works statement of this year, shows that the Colony has received from the New Plymouth section since its opening, just sixty-three pounds over and above working expenses ! As our contemporary says, " That is, a payment of some twenty shillings per month on the capital' invested since the line Was opened in 1875." The above are startling facts, and our Greytown contemporary has done the Colony a service by directing public attention to them. We confess that though we have hitherto generally understood that by some reoondile influence Taranaki secured far more than its proper share of loaves and fidfo, we hod no idea so vast a dispropor tion existed. "We believe, however, the publication of the Standard's article, will do good by showing a quarter in which real retrenchment can be practised, and we fancy that after this " eye opener," there will be eaiefnl Bcrutioy henceforth into those sections of the Estimates which relate to Taranaki. -