CONSOLIDATED FUND STATEMENT. (BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 226, 29 October 1887, Page 5

CONSOLIDATED FUND STATEMENT. (BY TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION. )

The following is the statement of receipts JVtd expenditure of the Consolidated Fund fpr the quarter ended September 1 : —

Everything here is still as dull as possible from a political point of view, and only one or two members have returned from their holiday yet. Parliament Buildings is the ! most unlikely of all places in Wellington just now for news, but yesterday I met Mr Moss ! and had a chat with him on the situation. , His opinions are those of a veteran politician, and possess a speciai interest at the present moment, and I therefore reproduce them for the edification of your readers, Mr Moss frankly confessed that he had no news. Ho was faking advantage of the recess to pick up the leeway made by his long absence in the Islands and the general election. He was close at work at is lodgings, and heard little of the gossip going round at the moment, noi did he think anything reliable was to be known as to Ministers' intentions. They were not at home to all-comers, which, considering the heavy work they had in hand, was quite right. I asked Mr Moss if he had formed any idea as to what was likely to occur when Parliament met on Friday. Yes ! he had formed a very clear idea ! Atkinson would probably show the country to be in a frightful state — worse even than it really was. Then he would do what he could to grapple with the position, call upon everyone to make great sacrifices, exhort them to practise thrift, declare the country wanted rest and propose to consult the convenience of members by a short session, deferring all except retrenchment till next meeting. " And you think," I asked, "that this will be the proper course ?" " No," was the reply. "To my mind, retrenchment in the present depressed state of the country will do more harm than good, if it be set about in a huckstering way. It will increase the depression, leave the local bodies deprived of subsidies accustomed to lean on the Government and unable to help themselves. Reducing the expenditure in a broad and statesmanlike spirit is one thing, retrenching in a petty huckstering way is another."' " What is your idea of reduction ?"

"I can" tell you little that I 'have not sought to impress on the House and on my own constituents for several years, I think in the fir'sb plaoe the number of members in both Houses should be reduced to half. The General Government has long ceased to pay subsidies or do local works out of revenue. They dan not borrow now, hence a more efficient system of local government must be devised. When that is done, three Ministers can do all the General Government work, instead of seven, and the great Departmental expenditure and Ministerial paraphernalia can be reduced in proportion. The saving of our Legislative and Departmental expenditure should then be worth talking of, and the country could pay fair and decent salaries to all its servants, instead of cutting them down to the starvation point because there is depression, which they had no hand at all in .creating. Ministers would be quite suffidiently paid with a thousand a year, and with three to pay the saving alone would be worth something." "But," I asked, "how will the local foodies get on without subsidies ?'* "Well," was the reply, "I suppose they will do as they have done heretofore —go on taxing themsehes and have the General Government to waste millions without a murmur : what poor Macandrew used to call the maelstrom of colonial finance. *' " Will it be possible," I asked, " to take so much in hand this session ? " "Yes," said Mr Moss, emphatically, "quite possible if members do their duty io the country ! Quite possible ! Only it will involve a session of &ix or seven months' duration — and why not, if there are occasional adjournments of two or three weeks to givo Ministers and members a rest ? There is more earnestness in this House, especially among tho young neiv members, than I have ever seen before. If the old plan is to be adopted of sitting five or six days in the week till all hours, they will soon get weary, and the session end with the work half done or worse than half done before Christmas. If we resolve, on the other hand, to do the work thoroughly and place both our financial and political condition on a sound and permanent basis, we must grant at least six or seven months as they do in Victoria and other colonies." " Do you think there is any chance of that ?" ' ' Not the slightest ! Major Atkinson .and Sir Frederick W hitaker are the ruling .spirits in the Cabinet. Both are tacticians — pre-eminently tacticicuns— and if one may judge by the past, their only test of a successful policy will be one enabling them to hold the Ministerial scats against all comers. As to the countiy, well, it has gone to the bad in their hands in tho past, and yet they have managed to keep their seats, I don't see any reason why they shoultl /liter their policy now." " What ! Do you think the new members will allow ix repetition of the old tactics ?" "I hope not," was Mr Moss's reply. "There aie, as I said, earnest men among them, and among the old members too for that matter, parties are broken to pieces on both sides, and we are in for a new departure. The old wretched system of intrigue and tactics which has brought the country into the present mess will not, I hope, be possible in this Parliament. If so, members will not allow themselves to be worn out at the start, but will insist on the work being propeily and thoroughly done, and the session, as I said, prolonged until it is done. That is my hope. How far ifc will be realised I cannot say. It won't, be if astute tacticians have their way and if the public outside aro content to bebamboozled with tirades against Civil servants,an outcry about retrenchment, as the only safe cure. In any case I feel sure there is six or seven months' good work before us if the colony is to be delivered from tho mess into which it has been plunged by those who have controlled the Government during the last ten years. Gathering grapes from thorns and n'gs from thistles is not hopeful work, but the colony is sound and strong, and £f members make their duty to it pai amount to all other considerations, I, for one, do not doubt that new and better times will come upon us." And here ended my interview with the hon. gentleman.

Cash in the Public Account .. £133,164 9 11 Advances in the hands of officers of the Government in the colony .. .. 152,484 8 3 In London „ 24,700 19 11 Total .. £310,349 18 1 Grand total £1,121,490 14 2

BALANCE ON 30TH OP SEPTEMBER, 1887.

Legislative Colonial Secretary Colonial Treasurer Minister of Justice Postmastor-General Commissioner of Trade and Customs Commissioner of Stamps Minister of Education . . Minister of Native Affairs Minister of Mines Minister of Public Works Minister of Defence .. £4,515 14 8 40,794 17 2 10,535 15 4 29,738 16 8 71,476 S 9 18,041 6 4 6.177 2 6 89,575 11 2 51,270 7 9 5,518 7 10 . 178,128 19 1 40,730 18 3 Total Services not provided for .. Total .. £501,504 6 6 2,097 M 11 .. £811,l'O 16 1

UlVll LiJSt .. „ „ „ Interest and sinking fund Under special Act of the Legislature Subsidies under the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Act, 1885-86 Amounts paid over to local bodies in respect to rents under the Land Act, 1884-85 Endowment to New Plymouth Harboar Board Greyraouth Harbour Board Westport Harbour Board £7,592 15 209,846 10 66,011 13 16,609 11 1,806 6 34 15 3,192 17 2,443 4 5 8 7 6 S 4 5 0 Total £307,538 14 8

EXPENPIVUHE, PERMANENT APPROMJUTIONS.

ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS.

3^l&ceon3o(h June, 1887.. .. £119,080 8 4 Cash £n the Public Account advanoes in hands of officers of the Government in tho colony 184,191 17 4 In London 34,578 17 4 Total £337,851 3 0 Customs £312,067 14 0 Stamps 134,290 7 7 Postal and .telegraph, cash receipts 12,675 11 2 Property -tax 3,872 3 8 Beer duty , 10,905 16 10 Railways 226,514 13 5 Registration -ami .othar fees .. 8,474 16 9 Marine 3,930 6 1 Miscellaneous .. - .. .. 11,244 3 6 Total .€723,975 13 0 Territorial revenue, depasturing licenses, rents, $tc. .. .. 57,498 2 3 Miscellaneous 2.165 15 11 Total.. « £59,663 18 2 . I £59,663 18 2 Grand total .. „ ..£1,121,490 14 2 ..£1,121,490 14 2

ORDINARY REVENUE ACCOUNT. RECEIPTS.