The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. THE BUDGET.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1418, 30 June 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. THE BUDGET.

Major Atkinson .deserves the' highest praise and the utmost* ci edit for a very honest budget, elaborated with almost more than mortal care and pains', • We are proud of a Dolonial Treasurer 'who knows so much, and who tells'us all that he knows without reservation, but we can hardly forgive his prolixity. We don't want a three volume budge t bulging with innumerable figures.' Such a statement must Kayo been bad for lion, members who professed to listen to it but who could hot possibly absorb Buch .an avalanche of statistics. It was very bad for telegraphists who. had to sit up nil night to transmit it, for poor printers who burnt midnight oil to get it.into type, also for,the general public who attempted to read it. We | doubt, whether a single M.H.R,, a . 'single .reporter, or a single reader could pass a fair examination on the contents, of this big budget. It is as far as its general effect on the publio is concerned a failuro, and we sincerely trust that next year Major Atkinson will get some popular writer ; to epitomise his statement for' him,, reserving the original, M,S. ; for. his. own private edification. The real points of this year's budget are few in ; number. The Major very properly 1 insists that the income of the colony shall balance the expenditure, and. with this object he proposes to increase the Property Tax. This course is theoretically wise, and practically foolish, The Property Tax haß many enemies, and keeping it dancing' up and down .tends; to place it at their morcy. Last year it was reduced by the Major voluntarily without any popular pressure.: We' stated then,that the reduction was a mistake, and now the Colonial Treasurer is'compelled to correct the error he made'twelve months

ago, We are not sure that the re-ovgin-isation of the Civil Service—a leading feature in the late budget—is necessary, It certainly is not urgent. The Civil Service is fairly efficient. It is subject to some small abuse!)—appointments to it are still occasionally made by ( political"iaflueiices—but taken as a whole it is not in such a condition , that /reorganisation,; has become essential. The only other sin-prise in the budget; is our old friend the .National Insurance scheroe, We thought the Cabinet had blocked it, but apparently 1 Major has managed to get the hoad andshoulders of his fayorite through the, doorway'and the body is pretty certain •to. follow. When we got'the first .dose of National Insurance it rather acted upon us as an emetid/ b'ut'a repetition of it Js - calculated' to*; make us accustomed to it, and;tbe time wili v iio doubt. como when • we shall be quite used to it and take it as a matterbf' comse. (We shallfgulp it down just as aipatierit in a nauseous, [Separation which is ! tiontiiiua}ly placed under his nose—simply to get rid ,of. it,; W.e can't very well' 'do< without •; Mjljdr } and .as lorigas we regain his services we must submit to hisihobby.' The House does not want National | The country does tfot want lit? fcThes'e objections would' discourage other politician than thi}' Major| iHe',Jowever, f k ;knoys betterJKanlthe; House or the country what is good for ut») and We'vuit '<

A WORD of warning; ■

A petition is being presented for signature" about Masterton, against which it.is necessary, .to(Say a wold of warning.. It is in opposition to the sale of the Mastertonunterest in theGreytown town belt, and to the disposal of the Courthouse site to the Government. 'The petition contains many, misrepresentations, but the principal objection to it is the. suppression of; a , material - fact,, viz.that at a public- meeting convened specially by the Tow n> Lands- Trustees to consider the ; transferv of -the; Courthouse site tte sale was..unanimously .approved- of. ...It will be a disgrace to Maaterton if a 'petition which misrepresents facts and suppresses material evidence, is to any considerable; extent signed by tW; ratepayers. X)f ; course •there are! wen who will sign' anything they are asked to put their name to, but we trust no ratepayer who lvalues his reputation will put his name.to this document"' without' ; nwking. Borne inquiry; into' the history' : ' it!' The petition we understand emanates from sMr, Ken nil, - and is plaoed in the hands of Mr Feilding to, obtain, signatures. We . are glad to report that some.,, citizens,;, - although, presseuj .lp; ; sigh |, the document; this raofning,iwere a 'Httle- suspicious arid refused to put their' l names l -to -it till they found-out.a little raoro about it, (Jp till noon'to-day the following signatures to the document were obtaineid: j T. E, Price, J, J. Smith, and Thomas •Deny. 1