The Financial Statement.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2595, 11 May 1887, Page 2

The Financial Statement.

Tub following are tho mora interest' ing portions of the Statement delivered by the Colonial Treasurer last evening : (In Committee of ways and means, Tuesday, 10th May, 1887,) Mb Hamlin—l venture to hope that Hon, members will listen with attention to the information and the proposals it will by my duty to lay before them this evening. The Financial Statement was made last year much earlier than usual, and before the session closed I informed % Hf}iis) thatl feared the estimate' of thg 'for the, year would not be reaijsej. the case, ajid I have not tirjs evening to make the announcement so pleasant on these occasions of a surplus; on the contrary, I have to tell the flora* mittee that tho transactions of the ygar just passed will leave a deficit.

ppprainp 1886-87, I have pleasure in stating: W the expenditure during the last financial year showed a saving of £98,626 on the amount estimated. The savings of all kinds amounted to £129,880, and the excesses to £31,254, resulting in a net .saving to the extent that I have just indicated, The largest items were Railways, £65,511; Public Works, (consolidated revenue account), £12,085; Education Department, £11,887; Customs, £10,889; felenoe;, $982,; and Mines, £74,115. in 'expenditure were principally— £14,888 for "services not provided for, and £10,028 for the 'Rdsjtal j3eryj v ce.' fire "latter chiefly arose . through an. additional cost pf Services, because of layge premiums earijed, am} through under-saving on the estimate for subs!dies to lyoeal Bodies; but the expenditure will mm ill during this year, as I shall have occasion to repeat later. The Government have in every way exerted themselves to conduct the expenditure on the most economical scale,

THE REVENUE OP THE YEAR—IBB6-87i ; % revenue showed a less amount than elated, ih #92,498.' The following we the prinpipal jfenis pf ! 116,887; and Railways, £157,818. \ The Customs duties I shall again refer 1 to, as there was a saving on tho estimate of Railway- expenditure pf £65,511. 'l'ho net loss on the Railway estimate amounts-to 192,802, The loss arose principally during the early portion of tho year, for towards tho end the traffic showed a marked increase, The loss on the Stamp revenue I-attribute to diminished business. ; .

THE SINKING FUND. I Should specially refer to the subject.; Statements have been put forth to the effect that New Zealand securities have fallen in value because of what has been unwarrantably termed theseiweofthe sinking fund. There is not a particle of truth in the allegation. The plan,'after it became-law in 1881, was explained bythe Agent-,

GeneraLto the London market, and did not affect either the loan then negotiated or a subsequent one.' To suppose that it affected the third loan is absurd. There is no necessity.to justify to this committee a measure which in the face of opposition and abundant.discussion was accepted and became law by the authority of the present House. '

SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. - "', When account is taken of the. sup-, plementary estimates •' brought down after the financial'statement last year, was delivered, my expectations amounted to a small surplus of £1,500. • I greatly regret there is instead a deficiency ; but considering the fears which" have been expressed of its amounting' to a very large sum, honorable members will, I believe, be glad to learn that it amounts to no more than 192,293. I cannot accept any, blame for this result. The circumstances which usually lead to the estimated' revenue falling short have been conspicuously present. Moreover, I informed the House before last session terminated that I feared the expected revenue would not be realised. This is the first deficit since I resumed office in 1884, and I think I have reason to be gratified that such is the case, and that the present amount is. comparatively so small, seeing how huge have been the disappointments' during this ■ period in .other places. The amount of the deficiency can be identified in the statement of the revenue and expenditure of the consolidated fund by deducting the credit balance of 1180,865 from the outstanding deficiency bills of £279,100.

LAND FUSD. Tlio deficiency in the land fund has increased, I shall have to explain later tiiat the change in tho land policy is accountable for tho result, and that it is necessary to make somo pormanent provision to meet the altered financial condition of: this class of revenue.

THE PCBLIC WORKS FUND, 188G.87. Last year a new and important departure was made, by placing under distinct amounts the residue of the eld loans and the amounts to severally arise from the North Island trunk loan, and from the loan authorised during last session, f took credit in my last statement for a balanco of L7C8,780 remaining out of the old loans, and said that when recoveries were made on its account from the North Island trunk loan there would be morothan LBOO.OOO to bo voted as tho House pleased on other purposes than railways, such as buildings, puvoliaso of nativo lands, roads, and other works on t?oldfields, reading, etc.

FUTURE EXPENDITURE, Ministers have not thought themselves justified in depriving the Colony of any of the services to which it has been accustomed and which Parliament has sanctioned, They have'however in overy case which seemed to tjiojn practicable diminished tho expenditure witho.it impairing the efficiency. There are three classeß of Public service, First tho class in collecting revenue, second the class which renders services and receives in tho aggregate remunerative payment for the same, third the clasa which undertakes useful duties for which little or norevenue is collected, Jfwill be understood that as regards all three classes 1 admit that there may be economies consistent with efficiency and of these I will shortly separately speak. At present. I am dealing with the questions relating to the extent of the services when I toll you that the Post Office afld Tplegraph Department havo set up the hard standard regarding new post offices in tho country districts qf requiring suqh offices not to leave a loss, that with the desire to avoid spending monoy very remunerative extensions of tho telephone ; and telegraph have to bo refused, and i that as regards the customs several sta- ; tions are rapidly being olosed, Tho committee will see that there remains littlo to be said regarding reducing.the sorvioos 1 of the departments coming within tho two first categories The third category i depends an the will of Parliament and . it would be unconstitutional that their , nature should be materially ourtailcd by \ the action of tho Government unsanctioned by the wishes of the representa- ' tives of the people. 'We now come to a > question common to all brancheaof public . service. Can the' same efficiency bo . obtained at less than tho present cost 7 ' This opens a wide field of .inquiry, and the Government havo been unceasingly engaged in studying it since Parliament ; The subject involves tho gonsi'deratfon pf jIHe" cojt} hi .strength of Civjl servants,'of the anioHpj: of their salaries, and of fte nature and condition's of thejr engagements, and when a conclusion wit}) respect to the past character of the service has been arrived at, th§re remains the difficult task of determining in what respect there should be a cjiango ip the futuro. I» the past the New JJealanp), like other Civil Services, was meant to be a profession jealously guarded with piiviliges, It grew out of the type common to all the English colonies before they became Belt-govern-ing. Gradually the feeling with regard to the service moved in tho direction of freeing it from speciol'privileges, and of treating the public servants as if they were employed in private establishments. The status of tho service, however, has as yet far from arrived at that level, and it seems desirable to fix what its condition should be in the future, rather than to let it indefinitely drift, The' Government have laid the train for a large saving of exrjc|ise |n future, Before detailing I "wish to say that }n my opinion ten years' hence tlio diftoro'ri'co in tfye'cqslfqf fJie Civil Service'between what it'would have been under thg provisions prjpr'fp jasf; year, and, under tji'e new conditions will be equal tq a reduction of 20 to 25- per cent, supposing, of course, the new conditions will bo maintpe!}. The reductions t])o Government have made occur principally under the following heads— (a.) Seduction on travelling expenses; (b) Doine away with offices and .dispensing with officers; (c) Amalgamation of offices; (d) Savings in appointments to vacated offices under these heads, The alterations already made will result in a considerable saving and the steps taken to continue efforts in the samp j}ij.'C|)tißp will lead to yet larger savings in thp future. Tp seeuro.theso ' the Government have determined that when yacanci.es occur the qffice vacated | Shall, if possible, be amalgamated with s.omp other office, or failing this being practicable. t];at there shall be a, considerable saving in the salary attached to the appointeo to tho vacant offico.

PHOPOBJID JJOTPITTOE TJIIS YEAR,, , The votes we submit this yoar are \m than those of last year by the large sum of L 150,212; the amount for interest has increased by L 115,000.

T#E PROPERTY TAX. The oonolusion we have come to is that properties worth not exceeding L25(H3 flhall biijby the same exemption of IBOQ as; at present, and be subject on the balance to the present tax of thirteen sixteenths, but we propose that there, shall be.no exemption allowed on-proper-ties exceeding, L 2600 in «due,"ahd that the tax on them shall be one penny, ' THETAWPF, ■ I have the honor to submit the follow*

ing resolutions—That in liou- of the duties of customs now charged on the undermentioned articles, the following duties of customs shall on and after 11th May, 1887, be charged thereon on importation into New Zealand or on being cleared from any warehouse for home consumption, 1 namely.: Acid acetic Id per lb, acid tartaric 2d lb, apples dried 2d lb, candles '(sfearine) ljd lb, candles (paraffin or : was)'Sdlb, candles not other* wiae enumerated 2d lb, cement ft barrel,, chocolate confectionery and allfprepora-' -tiona of .coCoa or-chocolate other fhari for use; as.a.beverage' Sd. lb, fish (dried, 'pi«felec|..orajiH'ed) ; 6s cwt, fruit pulp and boiled : fruited lb, M preserved Ijd lb, iron galvanised plain' sheet Is ,6d cwt, macaroni, yermicelli,',Mg6,' tapioca, lemoUna 2d lb, maizena and cornflour 1$ lb, mustard 2dper'.lb, paints and colors in oil2? per.cwt, 'p.tint and colors mixed ready for use 4sper cwt, rice, including ground rice, Id per lb, starch 2d per lb, Tarnish Is per gallon, cordage and rope, including house line, marline, ratline, 7b Gdpercwf, pickles Is 3d per dozen pints, sauces 2s Gd per dozen pints, glue Id per lb, barbed wire fencing Is 6d per cwt, paper bags 7b 6d per cwt, honey. Id per lb, doors, plain, 3s each, doors, glazed, 6s each, sashes, ungtad, 3s the pair, glazed Os the pair, matches of all kind Is, per gross of boxes containing in each box 100 matches or under and so on .per ptosb of boxes for each additional 100 matches, spirits, under proof, 14s 6d per liquid gallon, fruit, fresh, carriage and cart staves, spokes, felloes and naves and bent carriage timber, calico, whito and grey in the piece, colored cotton, dress prints, the invoice valuo of which does not exceed 5d per yard, rough browu hollauds, gaspipes, and raaohiuery,. water pipes 5 per cent ad valorem; fresh Bhoep dip, leather not otherwise enumeratedlO percentad valoremaerated, mineral waters, twine of all kinds fiftoen po'rcentad valorem, Basket andwickerwaro, boots and shoes,, marble and stone, wrought paper wrapping, earthem drainage pipes, garden tools, fire bricks, iron bridges, and girders and columns for buildings and other structural ironwork, iron castings, forged or worked iron of whatever shape, or in whatever stage of manufacture not otherwise enumerated, ornamental iron work and wire work iron doors for safes and vaults gates and gato posts, lamp posts, wheel-barrows, of iron, crab winches cranes, and capstans chaff-cutters, corn-crushers, horse-rake, lifting jacks, crowbars picks, and mallock pumps, and other appliances for raising water, fittings for pumps, engines, and machinery, stoam-engines, (othorthan for agricultural purposes) not oxceeding thirty-horsepower, and parts of game, brass cocks; valves, various lubricators,. Whistle's calendars, show cards, and other pictorial lithographs, and prints,perambulators 20 per cent ad .valorem all. articles not otherwp enumerated which are now chargeable with 15 par pent ad valorem 20 por cent ad valorem, 'patent and proprietary medicineß and preparations 25 per cent ad valorem.

Resulved that W tho ovent of any of the duties hereby imposed not being confirmed or of reductions beius; niade in tho rates specified above the amount levied collected and paid in access of tho duties as may bo imposed by the customs Act based on those resolutions shall bo refunded to the persons who paid the same