PASSING THE ESTIMATES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1773, 7 August 1888, Page 4

PASSING THE ESTIMATES.

WELLrBTGTOK, August 3. The roar for retrenchment apaears to be only with the electors. The 1 eitimates were discussed before a beggarly array of empty benches in the early hours of the morning, and the economists were in a hopeless minority. Mr Monk declared there was no desire for retrenchment. Members had promised their constituents they would rote for it, but had now forgotten all about their pledges. Mr Goldie insisted on Hansardising several divisions, to show which members were attending to their duties and which had gone home to bed, and also to test the sincerity of members who preach retrenchment on the hustings, and are indifferent when it comes up for practice. Mr Hutchison, who is a lawyer, made an effort te strike out a vote of £l5O subsidy for the publication of the law reports. He said the effect of the vote was simply to save lawyers two guineas a year each in subscriptions. Lawyers mustered in force, as they invariably do when their interests are threatened in the House, and the proposal was negatived by 26 to 10, the* total number of members in attendance being 36. The defence vote provoked a long discussion, in which the Government were urged on the one band to increase the Volunteer capitation, and, on the other, to remember the necessity for retrenchment, as the danger from without was really small. The Defence Minister promised to give the Volunteers next session the fullest monetary encouragement be could afford. An effort was made by Mr Goldie to strike out £3OO on the salary of the Commissioner of Police, and £6OOO long-service pay to policemen. Ihe Defence Minister said it would be a gross breach of faith to discontinue the latter item. Mr Monk abused Ministers’ protestations of the perfection of the force, and said it was disgraceful to pass the Estimates in such a manner as they were doing. The colony could not afford it, and they would have reason for regret. The amendment was lost by 21 to 9. Another by Mr E. Thompson to reduce the long-service vote by £3OOO was negatived by 21 to 6. Lands Department—£l3,B2o, Passed Votes amounting in the aggregate to £277,658 had thus been passed without amendment, and the House rose at 3 80 a.m.

The following paragraph appeared in Saturday’s Auckland Herald: — “ Colonel Dawson, as Chairman of the late meeting on retrenchment, held at Otara, communicated the resolutions to Auckland members. He has received the following letters in reply: — ** Wellington, 28th July, 1888 Dear sir,—Thanks for your letter of 14th. I can tell you that those who dare to advocate retrenchment here really need a little encouragement. Every woman here —man, woman, and child —is opposed to economy, and the member who attempts to interfere with the present order of things soon finds that he has trodden on sacred ground. If there were only twenty determined men in this House who would band together for the sole purpose of reforming the present extravagant and ruinous system under which we are governed, the whole fabric could be burst up, but they are not to be found hare.—Yours, R. Thompson.” “ Wellington, July 28th.—My dear sir,—l thank you for the papers and for kind wishes you convey. The task of reform in this Parliament is, I fear, a very hopless one. Every effort in the direction of retrenchment is obstructed. Nothing but a political earthquake will save us. J hree-fifths of the members in the present House think the art of Government is prodigality with public money, and that economy is meanness. If this state of things is to last much longer all prudent men will flee the country. — Yours truly, R. Monk.”