SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2471, 12 May 1888, Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1888.

♦ Tim Speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor at the formal opening of the New Zealand General Assembly on Thursday, a full report of which appears in our issue to-day, is of unusual length. It is full of import to the country, and needs serious study, for two things are made clear; the first is, that the position of the colony is still critical and its recovery from the terrible state of prostration it has been thrown into by a long career, of extravagance, a painfully slow one ; and secondly, that notwithstanding the extensive reductions in the public administration to which the Speech makes particular reference, the still heavy cost of the Government services and annual charges on the national purse render it imperative to impose more taxation. This is proposed to be made through the Customs by a readjustment of the tariff, in carrying out which the Speech promises that due regard will be given to the effect any fiscal alterations will have upon local industries and trade. How much there may be in this bald statement to alarm Free-traders, or raise the hopes of Protectionists, will be proved by the course of events. The reference to the work of retrenchment during the recess is

very brief, and there is no indication that the endeavours of the Government to comply with the will of tlu: people in that connexion are likely to come up to expectations. On that point we must withhold all comments until the Financial Statement is delivered. It is satisfactory to find that the work of remodelling the Civil Service has been undertaken in real earnest by the present Government. Previous Ministers always made loud professionsof their intentions to face the task, hut invariably abandoned the attempt in despair after a little tinkering. It is very gratifying to observe that the cost of national defence has been brought within proper bounds. Ear too much of the expenditure on harbour works and war material has been characterised by recklessness and useless experiments on the. part of some of our obsolete and incapable officials. The scheme of naval defence provided by the combined action of the Imperial Government and the colonies, under " The Australasian Naval Defence Act," will tie far more eflectual in its opera tions and to this, we have no doubt, Parliament will accord its approval. The Speech alludes in terms of praise to the operation of the Land Act of last, year in inducing settlement on the waste lands. We do not think public ofiuion will be inclined to extol it to the same extent, for we have painful evidence that in place of the land coming under permanent occupation by an increase in the number of settlers, the rural population is decreasing and people are flying from the colony. We must have something of a far more encouraging and tempting description to induce steady settlement than the machinery at present in force. His Excellency refers in a marked manner to the. serious aspect of the Chinese difficulty, in which the .anxiety of the Government is betrayed, and the urgent necessity for Parliament to take measures to deal with the question in common with the Governments of the sister colonies and Imperial authorities. The question is, undoubtedly, one that bears very gravely on the future of the colonies, but which should at the same time be treated with due regard to international obligations. It will be found that we are as far removed from obtaining the radical reform in our railway policy and system of management as eve I '. Nothing has yet been decided with respect to the appointment of a Chief Commissioner or the Railway Hoards. It is, therefore, quite possible that the whole subject will again occupy the attention of the House, and be fought over dc novo. The speech promises the introduction of Bills to amend and consolidate the electoral laws, the repeal of the Crown and Native Land Rating Act, which Mr Bal lance intends to vigorously oppose, and several other important measures. The reductions in the Education Department, without injury to the system, and the friendly attitude of Tawhiao and the Waikato tribes, are pleasantly referred to. On the whole, the speech is a plain forecast of the policy of the Government, but displays a want of vigour that is akin to "funk," which is far from cheerful. It has many imperfections, such, for instance, as the baldness of its allusions to the work of the recess, the absence of proposed economy in the existing cumbrous system of local administration, and no mention of the intentions of the Government with respect to the North Island Trunk Railway and further borrowing.