THURSDAYS' SITTING. Wellington, Yesterday.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1250, 3 July 1880, Page 3

THURSDAYS' SITTING. Wellington, Yesterday.

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. The no-confidence debate was resumed by Mr. DeLaotoub, who said, despite what had been said to the contrary, he failed to see that the Opposition could have traversed these proposals without adopting* the course taken. He did not desiie to see the Government ousted; still he did not pretend to be what was called an independant member. He was a member of a party imbued with Liberal principles, and he was contented to work on with that party, believing that they would go on and gather strength. He had no with to see odium cast upon the Government. On the contrary, his only fear was that they would be unduly Bjmpathibed. with by the country, considering tho difficult task they had in hand, Lookiug back, they found that in 1870 the deficiency was half-a-million, and now in 1880, with a population nearly doubled, tho deficiency was a whole million. When Mr. Vogel brought forward his proposals in 1870, he was particularly anxious that the burdens should not fall on landed, property, and that had all along- been the policy of the party with whom he was associated. The Treasurer, he contended, had attempted an imposfeibility in finance in his endeavour to make local bodies independant of the general finance. There were municipalities that would never have sprung into existence but for the endowments and subhidies. Could they not place their large cities on a self-depen-dant footing, and enable their counties to uuite ? By that means they would create a spirit of self-dependence, and destroy the Bystem of party Government that had sprung up in conjunction with the central Le^slature. Mr. Tole criticised the proposals. His speech was interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr. Tole continued. He objected to the proposed Board of Local Works ; and he had no confidence in the Minister of Public Works, owing to his conduct in Auckland. Mr. Shbimski asserted, as the result of six years' experience, that no member in Opposition could get justice done to his district. This he had no doubt would continue to be the policy of the proposed Local Works Board. He hoped the report of the Civil Service Commission would be treated with greater respect by the Government than they had shown to the report of the Chief Engineer on the Timaru Breakwater. He strongly condemned the property tax, and advocated a tax on the export of wool. Major Harris said they were anxious that this matter should come to a vote at once, and he hoped the Government would throw no further obstaclo in the way of getting it decided without dalay. Mr. Haklin paid he had intended to have addressed the House, affording certain choice bits of information he had picked up during his joun.ey to the West Coast. Another opportunity for doing that would occur, consequeutly he would waive his right to speak at present. The House divided. The division list was as follows : — Ayes, 45 ; Noes, 30.

POSTMASTER GENERAL AND COMMISSIONER OF TELEGRAPHS. Mr. Hall explained that the business ef the Postal department had very considerably increased. He gave a comparative statement of the two mail services — that by San JFrancisco and that by Suez — skowing that the advantages were slightly in favour of the former. There was little or no proposal for increase in this department. In the Civil Service Commissioners' report a . recommendation was made to the telegraph and post offices. In only seventeen cases had this amalgamation not taken place. They had. during the year made a saving of £719 by amalgamations, effected, and they had other amalgamations in contemplation that would effect another £1000 saving. The Government also proposed to amalgamate the administration of the two departments so as to secure more uniformity of the system. In all they had been able to effect a saving of £4000. The salaries of these departments were not by any means large," and they did the work well and efficiently. He moved the vote, General Post-offices, £4000. Mr Reader Wood contended that it was necessary they should at the outset lay down a principal of reduction, which .should- be applicable to the whole of the estimates. X that were not done he believed that no saving would be made at all. "What he would propose was a reduction of 20 per cent, on all salaries of £600 a year and upwards. The General Post-office secretary's' salary was £600. Now: that getntleman had no risk, and had a considerable salary which was punctually p^id. What he proposed was that onaUsalariesof £600 and upwards the reduction should be 20 per cent.; on salaries between £300 and £600, 15 per -'de-ntV'and between £180 and £300, 10 per cent. He would therefore propose that tbe vote be reduced to £3600.

Mr Andrew^ , suggested a 10 per cent, reduction all round. Mr Hall thought the method of reducing each vote would prove inconvenient. Mr Macandrew thought retrenchment should be a reduction of the number of officers rather than of salaries. Mr Wood said that his proposal would go beyond the percentage reduction he had suggested fie would preface these suggestions by a resolution, "That the Estimates as a whole should be largely reduced." He would also suggest the abolition of the office of Agent-General, that the honorarium of members of this House should be reduced 25 per cent. , and that of the Legislative Councillors 50 per cent ; that Hansard should be abolished ; that the number of District Court Judges and Resident Magistrates be reduced ; that the salaries of the Chairmen of Select Committees be abolished, and no addition to the permanent amount of salaries be voted ; that a large reduction should be made in the number of officers in the Civ.l Service by amalgation and re-organisation; that all telegraph and post offices not paying- expenses be closed ; and that the defence and volunteer vote be reduced by £50,000. Mr J. B. Fisher spoke in favour of the reduction. Sir George Grey agreed that the principle of the proposal suggested by Mr Header Wood was the best, and he would support itMr Swanson said the civil servants were ruling the country. They might be , civil servants, but they were most uncivil masters. Mr Montgomery was in favor of the proposal made by Mr Wood. The civil servants were paid far too highly. The discussion was interrupted by the hour 12.30 a.m., when the House rose.