Mil OLIVER AT DUNEDIN.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2559, 3 June 1881, Page 2

Mil OLIVER AT DUNEDIN.

Mr Oliver addressed his constituents at the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, last night. His speech contained nothing new. We will therefore only give his remarks on the retrenchment scheme, particularly in connection with the railway department, for the carrying of which into effect, Mr Oliver received unlimited censure. He said the fact was that more than any other members, the members of the Ministry had insisted upon the necessity for economy and retrenchment. They had begun practical retrenchment by omitting to draw one fifth of what they were entitled to. The Government proposed to reduce the estimates for salaries by £50,000, but the House had listened to similar promises many times, and so insisted upon reducing salaries by a rigid ten per cent Had the House, instead of doing this, accepted the assurance of the Government, the Government would have been able to effect retrenchment to the same extent with much less injury to the Service. The Government, however, succeeded in reducing the estimates for the current year by over £25,000; the had been difficult and exceedingly disagreeable. Mr Oliver explained the provisions of the Local Public Works Bill, and said he should continue to believe in that scheme until a better one was propounded. Regarding the public works ho said that if the railway lines had been all well chosen, there would have been no need for such a check as the public works policy had recently incurred ; but lines had been constructed that could not pay, trains were run more frequently than was necessary, and the tariff adopted in some instances was unnecessarily low. In one case where tbe carriage had been £6 per ton, the cl large by rail until last Olober, had been 17s 2d per ton. On taking office he had as soon as possible lessened the number of trains so as to diminish the train mileage by over 170,000 miles a year. Stationraasters were removed from extremely small stations, the number of men employed was reduced, an efficient department, a Commis sioner’s Department, had been substi tuted for two inefficient ones, and one Accountant’s Department had been

instituted for both Islands, the scale of pay had been reduced, the goods tariff revised and re revised, and a system established according to which men would be promoted for service instead of being superseded by outsiders. He had had under considcra tion a scheme for a general railway benefit society, a system of colonial delivery, enquiries were being made with a view to adopting the American system of checking luggage, and attention was being given to the question of reducing passenger rates and establishing night trains between Christchurch and Dunedin. These matters were, however, now for his successor to decide upon. At the close of the meeting a vote of confidence was proposed and carried.