FALSE ECONOMY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1560, 26 March 1887, Page 2

FALSE ECONOMY.

TOTHBBDITOR. Sie, —In reading Mr Turnbull’s speech, delivered in Timaru a few days ago, one is struck with the great falling off of the anticipated revenue of the colony for the present year, and according to the Timaru S Herald, in a leading article, he is very much below the actual amount which will ' have to be faced when Parliament meets, But in order to show, better results another year the beads of different departments have been on the war-path with a view to retrenchment, and very, right and proper they should, but the siiggeslions proposed proposed are not what we \ might have expected under the oircum* stances. As far as lam iofoxmed certain 'pepaftmeots propose the amalgamation of offices, thereby reducing the coot of administration. The amalgamation may answer very well in certain cases, where an officer is not fully employed, bul where eu officer ia receiving • leirialeif

in one department, and fully employed, it will be realised in the course of time that 1 1 was false, economy to ask tint officer to do the work of sn officer of another department because the latter departt ment wished to curtail its expenditure. j» The work of each department will not he 1 so well done—it cannot be expected—and it may fairly be asked. What will the officers -do whose services have been dispensed with 1 Assuming that the retrenchment is carried ont in every part of New Zealand upon the same principle, many will leave its shores for other fields of labor, on the ground that the burdens, in the shape of taxation, of the colonists of New Zealand are greater - than nearly every other country under the son, and the want of suitable employment. It would be disastrous in the extreme for any colonists to, leave New Zealand at the present time, when the debt is so great and the burden so heav>, But in order to relieve this state of thingand carry out a retrenchment policy on i principle that is safe, and recommends) by political economists, I would suggest that the Government should act as pnva individc .1.- would act under such circumstances, itid that it notify to all civil servants, beginning at the head of each department, that on and after a certvn day a reduction would be made in their salaries of, say, so much per cent. Tins would answer every purpose, and these officials could not complain. well remember the time, nearly 30 years ago, when an ordinary laborer’s wage was 8n per day, and now he has to work for and 6s per day, and glad to get it. And remember this is not wet and dry, like Hush Civil servants. It is to be hoped that members will’see that the heads of departments do not practice such fats* 1 economy in amalgamating offices, because they know the correct sort of reduction on as liding scale would effect them more than their subordinates—l am, etc., , Justice and Ritrbnohmbnt.