The Maikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justicc to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2489, 23 June 1888, Page 2

The Maikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justicc to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1888.

Tilehk is no denying the fact that the increase of taxation, added to the already enormous burthens of the colony by the financial policy of the Government, is viewed with great disfavour throughout the country. The people are dissatisfied with the extent of the reductions made in the cost of the public service, and a stronger spirit of enquiry into the existing system of expenditure has been provoked. The temper displayed by marked expressions of public opinion shows that the country, as a whole, will not be set at rest until a more thorough reform has been effected in the direction of simplicity and economy in the entire machinery of government and departmental administration. A close study of the estimates for the year 1888-8!) affords an insight into the huge proportions of the Civil Service of to-day, and ones mind is filled with wonder, if not indignation, at the scandal presented by the cost of managing the affairs of six hundred thousand simple colonists, This is so, even eonsidering the amount of retrenchment shown as having lately been accomplished by the Government. Before criticising the estimates, wo will here draw attention to a return presented to the House on the motion of Mr Barron, which should at least afford some food for reflection. This paper is a return showing the expenditure at each quinquennial period, between 18G0-GI and 1880-87 and 1887-88, chargeable on the ordinary revenue of the colony. 1 n the first year named, the Governor's salary (t!3,o00) and establishment cost the colony £5,;") 10. In 188G-87 -the amount was £10,493, and £9,740 in 188788. Ministers' salaries, allowances, and residences in 1860-G1 amounted to £2,913. In 1870-71, they had increased to i;<>,B!>3, in 187«>-7'i to £11,724, in 1880-80 to £1-1,712, and last year the total amount was £10,-191:. In 1800-01, the Legislature cost the country £8,179 ; but. the expenditure has continued to increase amazingly, for in 1800-60 it absorbed £13,288, in 1870-71, £19.000, in 1875-70, £31,039 in 1880-81, £38,498, in 1880-80, £•16,027, and last year £-3-,49!). The principal increase was caused by the honorarium, which rose from £7,090, in 1870 71 to £14,724, in 1870-7G, £25,770 in 1885-80 and to £30,229 in 1887-88. Honourable members, evidently, have notduring the past displayed an exalted spirit of self-abnegation. The departmental expenditure increased from £91,159 in 18G0-G1 to £491,920 in 1870-71, the beginning of the borrowing era. In 1875-70 it had reached £751,037, in 1880-81 it had swelled to fearful dimensions being £1,800,279, and in 188->-BGit was at its highest, namely, £2,090,853. Last year the expenditure had been reduced to £2,003,302. We will now pass on to the estimates themselves. A careful perusal of them shows that the exigencies of the colony with its costly system of Government, absorbs the entire revenue, leaving nothing with which it would be possible to provide for public works. It is also apparent that very considerable savings fnn still be made by cutting

down salaries, amalgamations and

the abolition of unnecessary offices, and generally economising the whole system. Together with the large sum that can be saved in the cost of education, we see no reasons why nearly £125,000 should not he gained by cutting down the estimates. The necessaries of life during the last two or three years have been so much cheapened, that the cost of living is from twenty-five to fifty per cent less than formerly. The salaries of all the higher officials have gone on steadily increasing in a manner never sanctioned by the state of the public service, nor warranted by any known principle in ordinary business concerns. It is said that many of these favoured servants of the people are so guarded by special Acts that they can resist any attempts to reach their emoluments ; no one can approach within the sanctity of the sacred circle that surrounds them. But surely, Parliament knows how to deal with them, and if such officials, who have fattened on the country so long, are so selfish and ungrateful as to insist in demanding their pound of flesh when adversity has overtaken the colony, then the Legislature should exercise its power against them without mercy, and public opinion will support it. According to the estimates the revenue for ISBS-89 is calculated to yield £4,016,400, The estimated total expenditure is sot down at £■1,003,008, made up as follows : — Interest and Sinking Fund, £1,838,539; Civil list, Special Acts and annual appropriations, .£2,115,051; Land Fund and Forests, £110,075. The total cost of administering the Government of the country, exclusive .of interest and payments under special legislation, reaches the still enormous sum of £2,053,212. Putting the estimated expenditure against the revenue the Colonial Treasurer expects to obtain from all sources, there is a deficiency of £4:7,208. We can understand Sir H. Atkinson's anxiety to utilise every resource he has left for raising revenue. At the same time there is, as we have stated, room for further reductions in the cost of the Civil Service. In the salaries paid to the Parliamentary staff, in the departments of the Colonial Secretary, Audit, Regis-strar-Gencral, Lunatic Asylums, Printing Office, Treasury, unci Justice, fully ,£5,000 could be saved by reducing the higher salaries from £750 to £000, and so on in proportion down to salaries of ,£l5O. In the Prisons Department nearly £2,000 could be saved. The Post and Telegraph Department would be as efficiently worked with more than £3,000 cut off its vote. The Customs and Deeds Departments could be reduced by j£l,(>oo and £1,200 respectively. £30,000 could be saved off the vote for Education, and by the abolition of the Native Department £2,500 could be well saved to the country. In the Lands Department, and Management of Railways over £4,000 could be saved, and between £8,000 and ,£9,000 by reductions and greater economy in the Defence Office and Police system. By lowering the wages of all employees in the Railway Service sixpence per day, which would be more eyual to the present current rates elsewhere, no less than 30.000 could be saved. In the Crown Lands and Survey Department there should be room for saving another £3,000. By reducing the cost of the Legislative Assembly to the extent of £20,000, the Governor's establishment by £3,740 and with further amalgamation of offices which would reduce the expenses by £">,OOO, it will be seen that a sum equal to £120,000 can be taken off the estimates. Granting that, under all circumstances, increase of taxation is necessary, though we will not here stop to discuss the shape such taxation ought to take, there can, however, be no question that the expenditure on the public service of the colony is indefensible and that every effort uiust be made by our legislators to reduce it, as well as to point out to the Government in what manner it can be done.