THE COLONIAL ESTIMATES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2148, 22 November 1875, Page 2

THE COLONIAL ESTIMATES.

(fbom a cobeespondent.)

Auckland, November 20th.

The Estimates and Appropriation Act for the current financial year are interesting documents^ and well worthy of perusal. It is a great pity that these productions are not more generally distributed, as it would most assuredly be found, year by year, under the present Ministry the public burdens have increased in such a ratio as to cause both apprehension and alarm amongst the inhabitants of the colony. In looking over the Hansards of the session just ended the reader will find some very interesting information as to the number of civil servants, and I cannot do better than give your readers an extract or two from these alarming statements to show the enormous amounts which taxpayers contribute to feed and clothe this gradually swelling army. In Hansard, number 13, page 128, Mr Thomson speaking on the second reading of the Abolition Bill stated :—"My honorable friend, the member for Akaroa, has taken the trouble to compile a statement showing the number of individuals employed in the various departments of the Government, and the total cost of each department. It is a very interesting and instructive document, and as the figures are taken from the Estimates* published by the Colonial Treasurer they may be presumed to be correct *, but.l propose only to give the number of officials, without reference to their salaries, and I doubt whether there are many members in this House who could guess what their number is. It is 5,256; and to show the manner of their distribution over the various departments I will read from the document itself. In the Pension Department there are 26; Stamps, 44; Printing, 42, besides apprenticefS &c.; Store, 5; Geological, &c, 8; Electoral, 31; Crown Lands, 8 ; Inspection of Machinery, 6; Law and Justice, including District Courts and Eesidont Magistrates' Courts, 246; Land Transfer, 36 ; Deeds Registry, 32; Postal, 911 ; Telegraph, .693 ; Customs Offices and Services, 211; European and Native Officers, 228; Masters of Native Schools, 46; Militia and Volunteers, 103; Bailways open for Traffic, 582, besides Provincial ; Arnied Constabulary, "* 737; Confiscated Lands, 18 ; Defence Loan, 738 ; Public Works, 316; Immigration, Services, 98; Commissioner of Crown Lands, 13; Receiver of Land Revenue, 7; Native Land Court, 27; Inspector of Surveys, 14; Trust Fund, 30: total, 5256.' We have heard a good deal about liberty during this debate, and, though I cannot agree with every thing that has been uttered upon this subject, it does appear to me that our liberties are to some extent in danger; and I will tell you why. Already we have 5256 General Government officials; it is now proposed to abolish the provinces; and when we abolish the provinces, if we ever abolish them, the. provincial officers will all be colonial officers. All the teachers will then be in a sense Government officials. There are also the police, the railway officials, the surveyors, the whole provincial staff' in fact. Now, under such a

system what triust be the result of elections ? They will probably be little better than a farce. And we have here responsible government—that is to say, government by party. It is supposed that in the ordinary course of things one party will succeed another in the government of the country, but with such a state of things the Government of the day may set the Opposition at defiance, and retain their seats at all hazards; so that in this respect, at all events, our liberties may be said to be in danger." The last estimates brought before Parliament, appear to be specially framed.to mystify members and hoodwink the country, for the manner in which items are traniferred from one class to another, and the absence of many salaries for some of the appointees, fully satisfies me that nothing like care, system, or management have been devoted to their preparation. I speak from a careful examination of •similar statements in previous years. C shall just give your readers a few instances in which information is withheld or suppressed: facts arepreferable to any vague assertions. In the

NATIVE LANDS COUBT DEPARTMENT I" cannot find an entry in the proposed estimates which ' would enable on* t0.,, really ascertain what its cost is. as the amounts for several oTIjE*? judges, clerics, and draftsmen, cltfßeaf work and other expenses, are nowhere met with. In past years except in some few cases, the detailed estimates,showed the projected:, appropriations for etch branch of the. public.service,if; j except contingencies, and ysundry items .payable out of contingent rates; but in'the, estimates for the years 1875-6. many details appear to be shrouded in mystery. Of course some explanation is necessary, and it is only fair the public should ascertain the reason for its being withheld. The amount of good which the country obtains for the monies expended on these Courts is anything but in proportion with their cost, and the published and authorised statements of the last General Assembler go to substantiate that through the operations of the courts many of the aboriginal inhabitants who were justly arid legally entitled to have their rights;: protected in different crown grants were- tbtilly ignored, and instead the "happy idei spatch "• method carr.ied out by the judges in giving a few chiefs all the power to the detriment of the many, producing misery and poverty to the lesser people, and gradually accelerating their ruin and extinction. Even Sir Donald McLean in September last acknowledged in the House that he did not loot upon the Lands Courts as having fulfilled its proper functions, so that it appears somewhat strange that even in an expiring parliament this great Maori doctor did not endeavor to get a bill introduced and passed which might have a tendency to remove this evil, and in getting it carried leave for the promoter a name which would produce a favorable and lasting impression on the Native mind which would never be forgotten in all time to come, even should Sir Donald never return -to New Zealand after leaving on his projected leave of absence to the mother country for twelve months' ease and retirement when the coming elections are over; Possibly the Defence Minister looked at the matter in a different light; read the signs ;of the time in the future, or the prophecy enunciated a few months before by the Superintendent of Canterbury, to the .effect that if the .Native abuses were not got rid of, and that very quickly, both the country and the House, when it next met, would insert that the chief and the old surroundings must be swept away, The electors are getting alive to the same conclusion, and the sooner ministers put their house in order in this respect the better for themselves, their party, and its numeroustail. From a perusal of the amount of work performed by the Native Lands Court Department during the year ending June, as detailed in the report of the, Chief Judge, one cannot be very favourably impressed with the heavy and arduous duties which have to be performed by the department, and in making a rough estimate of the cost of this branch of the public service, when compared withits expenses, the balance beyond doubt is in favour of the country being the loser. In my next " communication I shall enlighten some of your readers upon one of the most ornamental and costly departments perhaps ever created—The Armed Constabulary, with its attendent expenses under the " Defence and Other Purposes Loan." -