HON. MR SEDDON ON RETRENCHMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2179, 24 March 1891, Page 4

HON. MR SEDDON ON RETRENCHMENT.

The Wellington correadondent of the Otago Daily Times says : The Minister for Public Works and Defence (the Hon. Mr Seddon) takes very coolly the attacks made by both local Ministerial journals on his retrenchment. In an interview which I had with him this evening he asserted that reductions can: be made without at all impairing the efficiency ot the service, and that such being the case he did not feel justified in continuing to pay more men than were needed for a given amount of work. He assured me that he had fully satisfied himself. by- long ppd careful investigation that the public service, so far as his own departments were concerned, could be carried on equally well and perhaps better at a reduced rate of cost—some £2#,700 less—and that he fully intended it Bhould be done,

notwithstanding all that might be said against it. He instanced.for example* the case of a captain in Dunedin. commanding a small battery of permanent artillery, and being paid £250 a year for doing it. Mr Seddon asserted that Colonel Webb would be able to perform that duty equally well together with his command ot Volunteers, and save the colony the other salary. The Defence Minister went on to say very plainly that he meant to reduce the paid mititary force and encourage volunteers by placing them on a better "and more permanent ana certain footing, at the same time looking to them to take a proportionately larger share in providing for the defence of the colony* " I intend, said Mr Seddon, "so boon as I have got down to the bed rock in this business, to iprepare a plan for improving the position of the volunteer force. The main feature of my plan is that the'capitation allowance shall he something that they _ can rely upon permanently instead of being liable to constant' I propose that it shall be definitely fixed'by Parliament for a term of at least three years certain." Another instance of unsatisfactory • working was quoted by the Minister He said that two 01 the colonels bad- been called on to perform certain duties, which they replied that they were physically unable to do, and applied for leave. Mr Seddon contended that this was not the way the country ought to he served, and th at if those officers could not do their duty, it was essential that such duty should be handed over to others, especially as others equally capable could be got to perform them for a much low^r ratn of salary. He did not wish, the defences of the colony to be less efficient-than they were, or should be, but he was not going to have them cost the colony more than their real value.*—Mr Seddon went on to s<atethat he found the cost of the Public Workß department out of all proportion to the work that the department was called on to do, seeing that public' works to so small an exten , comparatively speaking, were now going on in the- colony. He was that the cost of the department should be reduced proportionately to the reduction of its duties, and that the colony should not pay largely in addition to what it had to pay for -the work required. He regarded it as monstrous to go on paying Mr Blackett so large a salary as consulting engineer in England in the face of the return laid before Parliament last session, which showed that such service as he has been called on to render had been excessively costly in proportion to the value of the material inspected. At all events he (Mr Seddon) would not have this burden borne any longer by his department—the Public Works—and if the A gent-General needed such an adviser the Agent-General department must pay for him, and not the Public Works department As regards the mines department Mr Seddon informed' me that he intended leaving direct for the West coast, and that he should endeavour to effect a considerable saving to the colony by' getting the Nelson creek and Mount Ida waterraces transferred, to local bodies and taken out o£ the hands of the Government. Keferring to the Police force, the Minister said he was satisfied the reduced number of inspectors could do all was needed. Indeed, careful examination bad convinced him that even a fewer number might be made to suffice. He was very sorry in all cases to cause personal inconvenience, but this could not be helped. If he could be shown that he was wrong in what he had done he was quite open I to correction, and was prepared to i modify his plans, should this prove r advisable; but on the general principle he was firmly resolved, and nothing would shake him. He was fully prepared to bear the brunt of any unpopularity that his dismissals might bring upon him. He felt he had a duty to the public to fulfil, and he was determined to fulfil it. The interview then closed.