SOMETHING ON SALARIES.

Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1510, 15 March 1872, Page 3

SOMETHING ON SALARIES.

Ikbbk are many who do not take trouble to weigh and sift the strong assertions of sundry political speakers and writers who are themselves not a little reckless of facts, like numbers we could name. Accordingly, we find a few political youngstera —the older politicians are more guarded—not only applying the microscope to what Ministerial evils may exist, and magnifying these with great applause from themselves, but also, either out of the depths or shallows of such internal consciousness as they possess, fabricating vast canards, and flying them in the atmosphere of limited electoral meetings, and exhibiting an extremely limited liability of regard for the consequences of their conduct. Among the outcries to be met with froru persons of this caste is.]one of greatly increased expenditure in the shape of official salaries. An instance was given the other day, when it was distinctly stated that the present Government of the Colony had within " the paßt thirteen months increased salaries about £30,000." "Of course," as usual, not a single attempt was made to prove the truth of this extravagant assertion ; but that is in keeping with manifold other charges which have multiplied as they travelled, and for the mass of which there is, we believe, no valid grounds.

la the nature of things, it is impossible that Governments should not make mistakes. As a general rule, it may be said that practical governmental science in its administration offers a parallel to the conduct of a war ; " Success rests with those who make the fewest mistakes." Some appointments that have been made may turn out errors. The appointment of Colonel Russell, an estimable gentleman, but we believe totally ignorant of the Maori tongue, to the "office," as it was called, of Inspector of Maori schools at a salary of £600, would have been one of those blunders, had the appointment been really made in terms of this kind or as a permanency. On making enquiry a month or two ago, we found that Colonel Ruaßell was appointed to enquire into and report on the state of the native schools, and we imagine that, that duty accomplished, the office, if office it is, shall cease and determiue.

On the subject of immigration, the "appointments" of Mr. Birch and Mr. Seaton, of Otago, of Mr. Farnall, of Auckland, and Mr. B. E. Friberg were among the events which were somewhat warmly commented on. The facts appear to be that, on tbe strong recommendation of the Superintendent of Otiigo, the Government inlimated to Mr. Birch and Mr. Seaton that it was intended to render their proposed visit to the old country available for immigration purposes. They were directed to wait on the Agent-General, in London, and take instructions from him as to what services he would require them to render, and he was to determine the remuneration to be given for such services as they might be called on to perform. The cost of their passage Home was to be paid by the Government, but they were distinctly to understand that there w» no engagement to pay their pawage baok. Similar terms wei« arranged

with Mr. Farnall. Mr. Friberg "is a Swede, who was sent Home specially to create Scandinavian immigration for three blocks of land in the Seventy-Mile Bush. His passage to and fro is to be paid, but he is to receive no salary, his only remunera1 ion being 10s. a-head for all Scandinavian immigrants he procures, and, when travelling, a moderate allowance in lieu of expenses." Without professing to know anything of the gentlemen named, there appears on the face of the circumstances probabilities of their being, by acquaintance with different parts of New Zealand, useful in aiding the carrying out of a scheme approved by Parliament, while no exorbitant salaries or sinecures are created.

That in other departments efforts are making to consolidate offioes and,,reduce expen»es, only one recent example in this City and Province will serre to indicate. The new Resident Magistrate for Nelson has some twelve or thirteen other offices laid on his shoulders at a salary very much less than that of his predecessor. In fact, the actual saving by the new arrangement now exceeds £400, as much as the total salary now paid to the new incumbent. But that is not the only instance of saving in the department of Law and Justice, as the following figures prove. In Hokitika,, under Class 11, of the Estimates, there has been a reduction of £565; in Blenheim and Piuton, one of £325; in Invercargill, one of £175 ; in Wanganui, one of £30; and in Marlborough, under Class 111, of the Estimates, one of £100 The details are these :— Hokitika — Salary of Clerk to th« Bench ... £335 „ Kegistrar of Supreme Court 50 „ Second Bailiff 180 £565 Blenheim and Picton — Salary Resident Magistrate £250 „ Deputy Registrar of Supreme Court 50 j, Clerk to the Bench 25 £325 Invercargill— > Salary Registrar of Supreme Court... £75 ~ Clerk to Bench ... ... 100 £175

Wanganui — Salary 2nd Clerk to the Bench ... £30 Marlborough (under Class 111) —■ Salary of Registration and Returning Officer £23 Salary Receiver of Land Revenue... 50 „ Deputy Commissioner of Stamps , ... 25 £100 £1195 Savings in Nebon 400 £1595 In the Treasury Department, the following unnual savings have also been effected :— Paymaster Auckland, appointed to pay pensions cf Inr.pjrial Government, by which £200 per annum ot salary is paid £200 Clerk to Paymaster, Auckland 275 Paymaster, Nelson ... 100 „ Canterbury 250 Clerk to Paymaster, Canterbury ... 250 Paymaster, Southland 50 Office rent in Canterbury 88 £1213 Once more, in the Po3t-ofßoe—a difficult branch in which to effect reductions by roason of the demands for public convenience—there are some further savings in salaries by combination of offices, or the not filling up of vacancies amounting in all to about £400. All these Bums make up a total amount of savings effected of about £320). If Mr. Gladstone, at a, public meeting ab Greenwich, saw fit to claim credit for his Government, for not having filled up an office worth £1200, whose occupant had just died, surely the Government of New Zealand, in view of a saving such as this, is entitled to claim at least some immunity from false accusations such as some delight in throwing about them. With regard to additional offices, a full return of these will no doubt be obtained at the proper time ; and meanwhile until that is seen, and the appointments known, together with some of their fruits in the matter of public works, and the benefits and fees arising from the Land Transfer Aots, it might, we would suggest, be premature to condemn so loudly a? is sometimes done, lest, haply, the fate of the Telegraph denunciators should overtake the accusers.