CIVIL SERVICE REDUCTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1772, 4 August 1888, Page 3

CIVIL SERVICE REDUCTION.

Mr Alfred Saunders (Ten per cent. Saunders), in one of bis recent addresses ask candidate for the Ashley seat, said: Bight years ago .he was one of a CM- Service flommi^ion,, and chairman; 6f < the. same, .which, during eight mririth* .went. into department and nearly every office of the Service, and which reported tha£, with slight reductions, at. least ,half a million might be saved at: that time. (Applause): When he bandedp the report of the Commission to Sir J. he Biaid,. “I do not dispute’ your • figures, but you have little idea of the trouble you nave conferred upon me.” It was not-only shown then but- since what an amount of opposition could be raised to this necessary proceeding* SirJ. Hall was hot only not supported by his own colleagues, but he was not supported by the country. He had reached a reduction of £130,000 when he,had to stop when his health gave way, and he had to leave for England, and Sir John Hall’s place . was taken by Sir H. Atkinson, who lost no time in restoring the reductions previously made to the extent of £IOO,OOO in addition.' The right thing for the Government then to do was to explain that the finances could not be managed Without further taxation ; to say that gold had increased in value', so that a pound would now purchase thirty shillings worth, and that there could bo no hardship in reduc-' ing the Civil servants’ salaries to twotbirdsof what they formerly were' This Would have effected a saving W further borrowing, to carry onl all the necessary offices of the without year after year heap- ■ : i irig lip taxation to drive their people ‘to lees profitable, but really more Ly prosperous, countries.