GOVERNMENT. RETRENCHMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2671, 15 August 1887, Page 2

GOVERNMENT. RETRENCHMENT

The Evening Press writinp onjhe doparture.'of the General Manager of Rail: \vaya oira trip, to Europe',, wko is to receive Six montha full pay, and in add.i? tion be allowod £l5O for travelling expenses saye;:-r , 'fle' / is to travel on the Continont, and ho is to come back by way of Amorica, andho'is to have credentials from the Government to everybody every, whore, and he is to bo specially recommended to tho.'Agent-General's- most distinguishodconsiderations.;—and therefore the taxpayovs.of .New Zealand-are to give him £lf?Q for travelling expenses. Ab-this the leading morning journal, iu iw new-born -eiithußiaaui for the StoutVogel Ministry, declares to bo quite right and proper and a voir good arrangement for all coucernod.; The Colony, in tact, is under a deep obligation to Mr Mxawell for consenting to .-attend the conference at Milan on.such.terms. ,Could anybody concoive a more monstrous pack of humbuy; ? Why, ttoro aro hundreds of men just as fit as Mr Maxwell to represent the colony at'the conference of Milan, wouldjump at the chance, of- going 'there attheir own expense for the sake of all the. advautas!eß and facilities that ho is to eiijoy. It is a case of greasing'thofat sow, with a vengeance. Mr Maxwell is to have six months holiday, lie is to have £SOO for salary. Ho: is to have introductions and recommendations which could not otherwise bo got for love or money. He is to have a trip and an experience which do not happen to one man in ten thousand in a life-time. Ho ia to be pushed into a prominence in his profession which is worth a small fortune, And, m consideration of his condescendin!; to accept all this luck, forsooth, tho poor struggling colonists are to pay £l5O -which they borrow from the British capitalist at 4$ per cont,-to defray his travelling expenses to and fro I We say it is a gross and scandalous job, and wo are astonished that Mr Maxwell had not more pride than to ask for such ii douceur. But, of course, every official is justified in getting as mach as ho can, and it is, no doubt, difficult for any official to realisu that it is possiblo to tako too .much. The blame rests solely with the Minister for Public \\ orks, who must bo out of bis mind not to discom tho dangor and folly of oarrying on those jobs and thoso oxtravagancies in tho present state of tho colony's finances and of public feoliua regarding them.