ROCKS AHEAD

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 151, 4 August 1883, Page 3

ROCKS AHEAD

The Bay of Plenty Times contains a wellwritteu article on Mr >3wan9on's motion in favour of re-casting the Civil Service Estimates in view of economical reductions in the expenditure. Our contemporary eulogises the member for Newton, but censures the Government for having resisted the motion, in the face of the non-fulfil-ment of their promise to appoint a Commission on the re-organisation of the Civil Service, while increasing the Property Tax, and the burdens which fall on the middle or industrial classes. The writer says : — " On a vital question like this the G-overnment had better beware being misled by their majority of nine. They must not close their eyes to the fact that though, after it was blunderingly degraded by being made the subject of a purfcy _ jufcesr. their supporters felt constrained to ucc i onv<): - -.r.y them ir.1.0 the lobby, the sympathy of uoi a f«\v of them yet ran very 31 ro-g-ly ia favour of Mr ' Swtu^on^s motion. oliO:iic! they ignore the firemnsluuce they" will on;} intensify the misuiktv. they itave already committed, ancl lay themselves open to the charge or triihi;^ wir.b the country's patience. The eyes of the p--oj>lt' aro now critically fastened upon thesu ; and, should they fail before the close of this session to devise some means for lightening the burdens against which the whole country is now muttering its anathemas, they will find that at the next election an adverse vote will be sullenly recorded against them. The question as to the extent to which reduction should be carried is quite a minor one compared with that of the Ministry placing themselves en rapport with the all but universal wish of the Colony for lessening of public expenditure." «.