Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 25 February 1896, Page 3

Notes and Events.

The old Government and the new v Government and the reconstructed Government — in fact all the Governments professing the present day Liberalism are cast down in grief and woe in not having been able to dispose of all the money entrusted to their keeping. In every other instance they have been enabled to show an empty chest and a pile of liabilities, but the wretched " AdiU^ances to Settlers Act " has been too many for the Seddon Ministry. Just fancy a million unexpended ! The Government are going to put more vigour into the Act? or are they going to be less careful ? The public hoped the Government had selected excellent officers to administer the Act. Had they ? or who has failed them ? or why more vigour ? In February 1895 three lucky men were appointed valuers at the trifling salary of £500 each, and besides which, there were many other valuers paid by commission. In the doleful return just published by the Government it would appear that Messrs T. E. Macdonald, William Dunoan and Hugh Cars well, the three stipendiary valuers have had all the pickings a3 the other 79 valuers employed received only an average fee of 2&3 Bd. The total number of applications applied for were 965, amounting to £854,907. Mr J. E. Warburton is the Superintendent and it is on record that a large part of his time was taken up in writing long and not very pleasantly-worded letters on the system of audit as oarried out by the Auditor-General. As the Government talk about infusing more vigour into the administration of ibis department it cannot be denied that they consider sufficient vigour has not beenjhown in the past. There is more in this decision of the Government than at once meets the eye, and is deserving of the earnest attention of those who applied for and were refused advances. It appears that over £778 has been received in valuation fees from those who were refused an advance, and 4 thus these persons are so much the poorer. This is unadvoidable at times, and if they had asked for improper' amounts they had only themselves to thank, but if, as the Government organ/ in Wellington ft9serts, many of the refused applications would now be only too gladly eatertained it is evident the applicants have been improperly and unfairly treated. They may have baen of the wrong colour which would account for anything.