THE ESTIMATES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 185, 7 August 1890, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN REPORTER,)

Wellington, this day. The House went into Committee of Supply at 5 p.m. yesterday for the further consideration of bhe estimates, with the following results :— CROWN LANDS DEPARTMENT. Under this heading, reductions had previously been made to bhe extent of £131. On the item Commissioner of Crown Lands and Agent for the Crown, Nelson and Westland coalfield, £450, Mr Fish moved for a reduction of £50. Mr Grimmond pointed out bhab in other centres the Chief Surveyor also performed the duties of Crown Lands Commissioner, and moved that! the vote be struck out. The Minister for Lands stated thab ib was brue that, wibh' the exception of Nelson and Dunedin, these offices were amalgamated ab all the chief centres of the colony. The Government were working in the direction of an amalgamation of those two offices at Dunedin, bub Nelson was in anenbirelyditJ'erent position. Half of thebime of the Commissioner at Nelson was taken up in'connection with Wesfcland matters, and moreover the country was of a very rugged and difficult description. The vote was struck out by 37 to 32. Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin, £500 : Dr. Fitcbotb moved bhab bhia be struck oub. The colony, he said, could very well afford to dispense with this officer. The Minister for Lands regretted exceedingly that in the interests of economy the previous vote had been struck out. The officer now in question bad received notice that hie services would be dispensed with at the end of the present year, and nothing would be gained by carrying the amendment, as the offices of Chief Surveyor and Chief Commissioner ab Dunedin would be amalgamated before the end of the present year, and a gentleman taken from another part of the colony to till the dual office. Later on the Minister for Lands admitted thafc bheoffico in question had been retained in order to entitle him to his pension. To his mind it would be a scandalous thing to dismiss men who had been years in the service of the colony within a few months of the time when a pension would fall due. Mr Perceval said that after the explanation made be would prefer to move that the vote be reduced by £1 as an indication that this office was to be abolished. The Minister for Lands agreed to accept this proposal, whereupon the amendment was withdrawn. The Minister then explained that the dual office at Dunedin would be a most important one, and so that Committee should not be taken by surprise next year, he intimated his intention to increase bhe salary atbached bo the dual office to £600. The proposal for reduction by £1 having been carried, Mr Bryce said he was nob prepared to express hie acquiescence in an increase of salary in consequence of the proposed amalgamation of offices. Contribution to vote Mines, £100: On the motion of Mr T. Thompson this vote was struck out. Travelling expenses, advertising, and extra clerical assistance, £650 : Mr Lawry moved to reduce this item by £100. The Minister for Lands expressed surprise ab the attitude of the Committoe. To reduce this vote he said would mean to rebard sebtlemenb. Owing to extra clerical assistance obbained, arrears of work had been overtaken, and any man new buying land could acquire his bible within three months, instead of having to wait year after year as had been tho caee hitherto. Mr Ward said he had no wish to retard settlement, but he complained thab the estimates did not give as much information as was desirable. The motion for reduction by £100 was carried on the voices. The total votes asked for the Crown Lands Deparbmenb was £18,339, and of this sum only £16,643 was paesed by bhe Committee. Thermal Springs expenses, caretaker and • other expenses, £500: Mr Ward moved bhab the amount be struck oub. Several of* the Canterbury members urged that these were the only bathe of this kind in the South Island frequented by invalids. The motion was negatived on the voices, as was also a further proposal made by Mr Fish to reduce the vote by £100. SURVEY DEPARTMENT. Surveyor-General, £750 : Mr Fish moved for a reducbion of this item to £600. The Minister for Lands eaid that if members of bhe Committee went on making sfleh proposals they would then make thomeelves ridiculous in bhe eyes of bhe counbry. Members were seeking bo cub down bhe salaries of bhe higher-paid officials without any regard to the responsibilities of their offices. The position of Sur-veyor-General was the prize looked forward to by gehblemen following the profession. What was the prize for the legal profession? (Dr. Fitchett : " The Law Practitioners Bill," and laughter.) No ; £1,500 or £1,750 a-year, and £2 2s per day for travelling allowance. A Surveyor-General required as much professional training as a Judge of the Supreme Court, and the sum of £750 a-year was a mean and paltry ealarv for the office. Up to 1887 £900 was paid. Mr Perceval urged thab ill was owing to the neglect of bhe Governmenb to bring down a Bill to classify the Civil Service thab the House was compelled year after year to undertakethe cutting down of salaries-. The proper mode of economy was amalgamation of officee, and nob by reduction of salaries. After further discussion Mr Fish obbained leave to withdraw his original proposition for. the reduction of the item by £150 in favour of a propoaal to reduce ib by £50. This was opposed by Governmenb,. but carried by 30 to 25. The Minister for Lands made forcible appeal bo bhe Commibtee to pass other items of the Survey Department; but this did riot prevent Mr Seddon from moving that the item Superintendent Head Office, £750, be reduced by £50. This was negatived by 19 to 15, but a subsequent motion for a reduction of the item by £25 was carried by 19 to 16. Eight chief surveyors (also Commissioners of Crown Lands), £3,855 : Mr T. Thompson moved to reduce this item by £200, and this was agreed to on the voices. Two chief surveyors, Obago (£500), and Nelson, £450 -* £950 : Mr Fish proposed a reduction of £50 on bhia item, and the motion was lost on the voices. Ten chief draughtsmen, £3,080: On the motion of Mr T. Thompson this item was reduced by £33, covering increases on salaries over £200. Forty-five assistant draughtsmen, £9,280: Mr Thompson moved for a reduction of £35 on salaries over £200, and this was also agreed to. Under the heading "other charges, £45,600," Mr Perceval moved to reduce the item by £1,000. Mr R. Thompson urged that there should be no further reductions in this Department, as the survey work was behindhand. The Minister for Lands stated thab nearly the whole of the vote was for surveys, and on this understanding Mr Perceval withdrew his motion. The total vote for the Survey Department was then passed at £71,985, as against £72,378 originally proposed. MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES. Rent endowments, Auckland and Parnell, opened under village eettlementregvjations, £150. This item was by consent; reduced by £100, the Minister for Lands stating thab on making inquiry he had learned that no definite agreement had been entered into by the Government with regard to thi3 item, and thab the extent of their" liability was only £38 6s 9d per annum. The motion to strike onfc "Dairy Insbrucbor, including travelling expenses, £400," was lost on the voices

MINES AND LANDS DEPARTMENT. The total vote asked for Mines Department) was £1,805. On item Inspecting Engineer £500, Mr Goldie moved for reduction of £50. Mr Grimmond, however, proposed that the whole of tho £500 be struck out, on the ground that the Inspecting Engineer was not necessary. Mr Seddon moved that progress be reported, stating thab while he would not oppose the vote, he deemed it desirable that there should be a free discussion of these items, with a view to having great alterations in the system of inspection of both gold and coal mines. The motion to report progress was agreed to on the voices, and the House adjourned at 1.15 a.m.