Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULL DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1887

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 11629, 3 November 1887, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULL DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1887

Fob the second time within half a dozen years Major Atkinson has undertaken to revise the colonial expenditure, after periods of shameful extravagance by Spendthrift Ministers. On the former occasion he and his colleagues exhibited a most commendable spirit of self-denial in the performance of their arduous, disagreeable, and thankless task— only to find their good work wholly undone by their unpatriotic successors. But yet again the pluoky Major has responded to the stern call o* duty, has gripped the question of the day with a firm, strong hand, and has boldly brought down proposals for re-casting the whole expenditure of the country, so as to bring it on a level with our now greatly deoreased revenue. Advocating, as we have constantly done, during the .Parliamentary recess, that the colonial expenditure must be reduced by at least a quarter of a million, it affords us great gratification to find that the Major and his new colleagues have grappled so determinedly with the burning question, have laid bare before the people the true state of the colony's finances, and have brought down proposals to meet the case whioh we believe will be found to be acceptable in the main, both to the House and the In view of an estimated deficiency for the present | financial year of £ 389,305, the Treasurer has recognised the absolute necessity for reducing the annual general expenditure by £300,000; and placing it on a permanently lower level. The Governor and Ministers are to have their salaries and allowances largely curtailed, while Legislative officers, whose salaries are fixed by statute; but who have been enjoying large additional amounts in the shape of annual appropriations, will be out down to the statutory Balary. The honorarium of Legislative Councillors is to be roduced to £100, aad that of members of the Lower House to £150, the extra amount in the latter case being recommended because of the increased expense to which representatives aie put; in the cost of elections and so forth, Large reductions are to be made in the oost of the various departments of the Oivil Service, by amalgamating offices, dispensing with officers, and curtailing the higher salaries, those whose inoomes do not exceed £150 per annum being in the main exempted from the general shrinkage. Ministers have made a most no table example of themselves, by reducing their own salaries to £800, with £1000 to the Premier, This will enable them,- without compunction,' to get at the higher officers of the Civil Service, who cannot expect their salaries to remain equally high with, those of their ohief. But how Sir Robert, Sir Julius, Mr Ballance, and the rest, must laugh to tkemselves when they think of their own fat piokings as compared with the comparatively small amounts to whioh the Major and his colleagues now propose to limit themselves. We confess we would rather have been the amounts fixed at £1000 for Ministers,- with £250 extra for the Premier. Education is to be affeoted to the extent of a reduction of five shillings on the capitation, and the raising of the school age to six years. This proposal, if carried —and it '»?we"»* *»o - -o«no«3ered an unreasonable one under the ciroumstanoes — will necessitate a revision of their expenditure by the Education Boards of the colony. In this connection, we observe that at the sitting of the House last night Mr J. G. Wilson, the member for Foxton, carried a motion for the appointment of a committee to consider the eduoation question, and that Mr Seddon succeeded in oarrying, by a large majority, a further resolution, to refer to the consideration of the same committee the questions of denominational eduction and Bible reading. This marked disposition on the part of the new House is rather significant.