South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2619, 12 August 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1881.

SECOND EDITION

Mu Savnueus is a supporter of the Government, but they must at times feel that he is a thorn in their side. Economy in administration is his trump card, and although the present Government have made considerable reductions, in Mr Saunders’ opinion they have not gone far enough. Ministers have many questionable friends. In regard to local government finance, Mr Saunders was the first to fire a shot at the Ministry ; but when Mr (Jrmond brought matters

to a climax by following up the arguments of the member for the Cheviot, and moving a no confidence motion, Mr Saunders voted with Ministers. In fact, it may bo said that he generally speaks on one side ami votes on the other. Still, Mr Saunders is a useful member. Ho is a naturally intelligent, straightforward man, well versed in colonial politics. As one of the Royal Commissioners appointed to go round the country to take ■evidence to enable the Government to carry out the retrenchment policy, lie acquired a large amount of information regarding the cost of the various departments of the Government. Notwithstanding the economical reforms of Ministers, it is beyond question that the cost of the Civil Service is still beyond a reasonable limit. In the House the. other night Sir George Grey stated that the estimates for the current year might be curtailed to the extent of £-11)0,000. However, a Ministry of which the member for the Thames was the head, was two years in office, and during thaii time the public expenditure was not reduced a single sixpence. Indeed, they kept “ piling it on.” tf When Sir George Grey and the members of the late Government prate about reform in administration they give people credit for short memories.

The motion which Mr Saunders moved on Wednesday was to the point. It was as follows :—“ That no financial proposals will he acceptable not based on a strict adaptation of the annual expenditure of the Colony to its annual revenue, without any assistance from borrowed money, and that do not aim at the complete separation of colonial and local finance, and the entire emancipation of the laiter from the control or interference of the House.” In moving his motion, Mr Saunders said that the Audit Office appeared to be arranged for the purpose of finding employment for men otherwise useless ami whom it was desirable for Government to get quietly out of the way. There is a great deal of truth in the above remark, for most certainly the body which has the management of the public accounts contains some of the greatest incapahlcs in the colony. The Audit Department is the most complicated and inefficient in the public service. It has been demonstrated over and over again that it imposes little or no check upon misappropriations of public monies. I.ts chief aim seems to he to create delay by frivolous objections on mere matters of form. To conic to the general scope of the resolution. The principle it asserts must, he adopted sooner or later, and the sooner it is adopted the better it will he for the country, 8o long as the aid of borrowed money is resorted to to carry on the ordinary purposes of Government, there will he lavish expenditure. The second part of the resolution in reference to the separation of local, from colonial finance is almost superlluous. If the Government of the country is to he carried on by the taxation of the people, there will he little to spare for local works from the Colonial Treasury. The local bodies would have to do their own financing.

Below we publish the estimates for the current year. A glance at them will show that there is still further room for retrenchment. In looking at the figures it should bo kept in view that the population of the colony is about half a million.