INCREASE OF, SALARIES.

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

INCREASE OF, SALARIES.

TO THE KOITOK. Sui,—l see, by the Financial .Satement that there is a surplus this year. Of course I thought that would naturally lead to a reduction in taxation. But in reading Hansard I see the same old game carried out, namely, increasing the salaries of already well-paid officials. I can conceive the Premier being in great glee, when he announced the fact of a surplus, and in the exurberance of his joy his first act was to raise the salary of the Inspector of Lunatics." Now, that gentleman's salary has been, up to the present, £1000 per annum, with travelling expenses ; but, owing to the said surplus (as the lawyers put it) wrung out of the unfortunate tax-payers, this great lunatic official, Dr. Macgregor, is to get £1200 a year and 12s (id a day travelling expenses. Well, Sir, when I read the speeches in favour of the above increase I \v:is astonished. I really thought half the members of the House were lunatics ; the way they praised and glorified that man was a caution. A feeling of contempt came over ine. Why, if an angel eatne down from Heaven, they could not make more of him than they did of this Lunatic Inspector. Anyhow, " Benjamin has got the cup in his sack," so he can laugh at us. Now, the next official to be dealt with is the Inspector of Post-offices, he gets £470 a year. He is an " imported article," I believe ; his salary is raised to £000. As produce is low and times are bad, the poor man could not live on less. In a few years he will be getting a pension, and the bigger his salary the bigger his pension. Then next comes the Deputy Inspector of Post-offices; his salary is to be raised from £420 to .£4OO. But this is not all, there are others I could mention, and I ask myself, when is this all going to end, or how can this robbery be stopped For the last twenty years, this country has been ruled by a few reigning families, viz., Atkinson, Whitaker, Tom Russell and Co., with their, sisters, their cousins, and their aunts. And what's the result: Debt, taxation, and depression. So long as we submit to pay the taxes, they will bleed us. L say now, as I said before, refuse to pay the propertv-tax. Mr G.ildie deserves the thanks of the colony for the manner in which ho lights the battle of retrenchment in the House; he is in a minority, no doubt, but lie does his best, f write this letter so as those who do not read Hansard may know a little of what is going on in that big building in Wellington. —Thanking you for your space, I am, Sir, Yours, &c., If. Kocitic. Ngaroto, .Tuiy 10th, lb'.s'!).