The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1887.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2306, 21 April 1887, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1887.

Pakliamext opens on Tuesday next, and from what we can gather the work of the session will be proceeded with out o? hand. It will be interesting to note how the Government propose to meet the huge deficiency in the revenue which is known to exist. From time to time reports have been issued from Wellington that large reductions are being made in the Public Service expenditure, but the total amount of the savings hitherto effected cannot approximate in anything but a remote degree to the enormous loss of revenue, and we shall not be surprised to hear that fresh taxation is contemplated. The country, however is in no temper to stand any proposal of this sort. The taxation at the present time is quite as much as the people can bear, and any increase in the burden will provoke a strong expression of resentment. If it be not possible to make any further saving' in the cost of the Civil Service, the Government must proceed to economise in other directions before they dare put any fresh burdens on the shoulders of the people. Loth as we should be to see any changc made in our national system of education, we should be quite prepared to sacrifice something under this head rather than that the sixteenth of a penny should be' added to the property-tax, or that the tea and sugar duties should be restored to their old level. To be frank, indeed, we think the time has arrived when the cost of our educational system might be reduced without material injury to anybody ; not by a reduction in the number of schools, but by an alteration of the school age from five to seven years, an alteration which would efiect a considerable saving in teaching power. There are many other directions in which a saving can be made, but it may be as well to wait and see what proposals the Treasurer is prepared with before enlarging upon them. One thing is certain : the cure for the ailment from which the colony is suffering 1 must be looked for in retrenchment and not in S increased taxation.