The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatsoever statu or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2655, 18 July 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatsoever statu or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1889.

Sir Koiseiit Htout sueeringly stigmatised tlio retrenchment of the Atkinson Government as parsimony, meaning that the policy of oconomv to which tliey were pledged was mean and illiberal. This was, of course, in contradistinction to the very profuse expenditure of the prodigal Government of that great Liberal, Sir lx. .Stout. The cynical imputation has boon resented by the Ministry aud thoir champions, who claim thoy have been exercising nothing more than a wise economy. Looking at the matter impartially, wo can say that both parties arc wrong. There has not been the faintest approach to niggardliness on Sir 31. A. Atkinson's part, neither ha,vc the Government so fulfilled the requirements of the country as to entitle them to be considered a truly economical administration. We are justified in devoutly wishing that they were parisimonious as they are not fairly economical, so that \ve, could reduce to reasonable limits the tremendous cost of governing this young colony. What, after all, do the reductions in the general expenditure, so far effected'by the Government, amount to? Yery little indeed. Whilst theexpenditure has been reduced with one hand it has been increased with the other. In 1887-8 the revenue was and the expenditure £-1,081,-135. In that year the charges on the general revenue for interest and sinking fund were £1,757,9G8. During the interval between then and now the comforting i belief has existed in the public mind that a decrease of some magnitude has been made in the general expenses of government, and that, though the burden of taxation has not yet been lightened, it can confidently be expected it will be soon. Owing chiefly to the unexpected demand in the neighbouring colonies for our products and the improving markets for wool and frozen meats at Home, our exports have shown an extraordinary and phenomenal expansion. Consequently, trade has received an upward stimulus and the tone throughout all our industries has revived, inspiring the colony as a whole with a better and more hopeful spirit. Under cover of these signs we. have been tempted to lose, sight of our real financial position and forget the weight of our national embarrassment. There is virtually no change in the position. List year, 1888-9, there was an increase of revenue, procured by wringing a quarter of a" million out of the people by extra taxation, and the total amount obtained was £3,7!) 1,833, whilst the expenditure, was £3.977,1 78, or less than the year previous by £114,3-37. In that year the interest and sinking fund had increased to if,833,47-1. The total cost of education was £GGO,OOO. l.ho estimates for the year 1689-90, place the cost of government at ,£4.117,331, including £1,888,40;) for interest and sinking fund and the cost of education will be increased still further by an additional £10,000. There has been no real

retrenchment; nothing worthy of the name; that is to say tho economy so untnistakeably sought after by this over-taxed people is as far off as ever. And yet some men there are who, out of the depth of their own vanity and egotism, designate the government a parsimonious government. There are few departments of the Civil Service that do not show on the estimates an increase in their respective votes. It. seems impossible to reconcile our minds to the fact that 110 less a sum than nearly two millions sterling is required to manage the internal affairs of a young country with a population a littlo over half a million souls. It is an outrage against reason to say that we need that enormous sum, and the small army of officials to carry the. business of the State, when we have instances all over tho world of private, enterprises, with interests as valuable, responsibilities as great, and with ramifications more widespread, conducting their affairs smoothly and with mechanical regularity at a fraction of tho cost of our public expenditure. The whole system has been built upon the wildest extravagance and the apeing of the customs of greater and older countries, whose positions are above our own. Why should we saddle ourselves with officials filling sinecure offices in receipt of salaries from.£l,'2oo, to £600 a year? We cannot afford to maintain such expensive servants, whilst thousands of hard-working taxpayers are toiling to keep their heads above water and support their families in decency. Living here is so cheap, and the style of colonial society is so different to theexpensive social tyranny of the Old World, that a man with ,£SOO a year in New Zealand can live as well as one with three times the income in Europe. That sum should represent the maximum salary to be allowed to chief officials in the ordinary departments of the Service. The House, as at present constituted, cannot grasp the need that exists for ail economical reconstruction of the whole, system of government, for do we not see them at this moment in Wellington continuing that infernal log-rolling in order to secure the expenditure of large sums of public money on unproductive and premature works in favoured localities in order to benefit their own districts, advance their own selfish interests or win transient popularity. Representation reform and a new Parliament of honest, patriotic men must be our hopes of political salvation.