GOVERNMENT RETRENCHMENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5356, 28 May 1878, Page 2

GOVERNMENT RETRENCHMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib, —The present Government, especially the Premier, have announced themselves to an admiring and expectant public, not only as the champions of reform in general, hut as being economists in the conduct of the public service of the most pronounced and rigid typo. Our ears have again and again tingled under the influence of the eloquence of the Premier while he has dilated on our monstrously overgrown Civil Service, on which he.in the most positive manner has affirmed that a saving could be effected to the extent of from one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand pounds per annum without in any way lessening its general efficiency. This announcement has been listened to by the public with mingled feelings of horror and delight—with horror at the profligacy and extravagance of our former administrators, and with delight at the near approach of the remittance of such an unnecessary burden on our finances, and the re-construction of our Governmental machinery on an economic, efficient, and satisfactory basis. The public had, however, been so long on the tiptoe of expectation, anxiously awaiting the commencement of this Herculean work, without any signs of action having been given that faith in the Premier’s sincerity or ability began to waver. But our hopes were again revived by the speech of his colleague, Mr. Ballance, at his Kangitikei meeting, when he stated that he believed that the sum of £IOO,OOO of a deficiency in the year’s account would be met by retrenchments. How,'or in what these retrenchments were to be made, ha did hot state. This, to my mind, was not a little strange and perplexing. It excited my curiosity and surprise that there should be retrenchments in the public service to such a large amount without any signs of the application of the priming knife to the Civil Service. However, this problem has now been solved by an announcement from the Government organ in a more positive manner, not only that the amount referred to will be saved, but the process by which it will bo effected. The plan is not only most unique, but the simplicity of it deserves the highest commendation. It is managed, not as was expected, by producing a revolution in the Civil Service, but, mark, by simply abstaining from spending certain sums of money voted by Parliament for certain public works ; or, in other words, by disobeying the injunctions of Parliament, by whose will and pleasure they hold their, present honorable position. Such is tho beginning and as far ns I can understand, the end—up to the present time, of the great retrenchment policy of tho present Government. I am not disposed to quarrel with Ministers because they have not effected the savings in the Civil SorviceJ announced to tho country by

the Premier, because I believe with Mr. Ballance that any very material saving in that service is,’ al least at present, impracticable. But I do think it most unjustifiable on the part of Ministers, and exceedingly wrong, to attempt to mislead tho public by placing figures representing a large amount as. a saving effected by their superior economical administration, when such amount is simply composed of lapsed votes for public works. Such conduct cannot fail to recoil on the heads of the perpetrators, as it must, and very justly, tend to shake public confidence iu tho accuracy of other statements put forward legitimately by Ministers from time to time, and upon which some reliance ought to be placed.—X am, &c., Q. Wellington, May 27.