The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, JULY 8 1890.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2181, 8 July 1890, Page 2

The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, JULY 8 1890.

During the debate on the Financial Statement, Mr Alles", the member i for JDunudin East, said that the rea- ! Bon for the exodus of population from the colony was that the expenditure of loan money had come to an end, and was not occasioned by the incidence of taxation. The question may fairly be raised whether there has been any serious exodus of population from this colony. It is about five years since the last census waa taken. It took a long time to compile the tab es, and when they were published they showed that the population was 578,482, and it is now estimated afc over 600,000. We have no direct authority for the latter figures, but suppose they approximate correctness. At any rate the population has not decreased. Everybody knows that the expenditure of loan money has come to an end, and if a few people who were attracted, to the colony by the heroic policy of Sir Julius Yogel and his coadjutors have cleared out, there is nothing much to regret. And that the period during which the colony i^||j|U\on sheer credit has run out l^fot a matter to very deeply mourn over. Nor can it be regretted that the ancient immigration policy no longer obtains favor. The thing was overdone, and men without means or anything else were brought here by the shipload, many of whom have been a burden to the country ever since, and have formed the most numerous proportion of the noble army of sundowners. But to go back to the census fables. The increase of population has not been enormously great since the last census was taken, but when the next counting of the people comes off, we are inclined to think that it will show a substantial increase. And supposing it should be otherwise, it would be hard for Mr Allen or anybody else to prove that tho " incidence of taxation " had anything to do with the exodus. Moat of the men who have left us have gone to the other Australasian colonies, where the taxation is either as much or in some cases a ; ittle more than our own. Many of them in avoiding Scylla have been caught by Charybdis. And many who have escaped by the skin of their teeth have been glad enough to return. Supposing our taxation to be higher per head than in most other countries, after all what does it amount to ? When one looks at the public accounts it appears as if an immense amount of money was being spent, but a few pounds a year per bead is sufficient to cover it all. Tho taxation by means of which all this money is raised is freely paid by all, and it is doubtful if the burden is felt by any. The workman who takes his glass of grog or beer never troubles himself about the duty which he has to pay in addition to the intrinsic value of the article, and the profits of the retailer ; his wife never growls about the little contribution she has to make to the national revenue every time she buys tea and coffee ; and when we travel along the road we do not complain that we have to subscribe to the local bodies in order to euable them to keep them in fit condition for traffic. There are no doubt some grounds for complaint with regard to the details of tne expenditure of money raised from the public, but if every wrong were redressed, if every error were rectified, not one of us would be a penny the richer, jpfep all our taxes remitted to-mfljp!^, who of us would be the better off ? But it is tine we came back to this question of the expenditure of loan money raised by Mr Allen. The total cost of running the colony o£ New Zealand, including Governor's salary, Parliament, education, interest on loans, and a host of other items, is about four millions and ahalf a year. This is a big sura, but; when divided amongst the population 1 it is only 'about £9 per bead. Evea

that looks large — but a very large proportion of the expenditure out of that revenue may be called reprodue- \ tive, and is laid out for the direct benefit of those who have contributed it. After going carefully through the public accounts we cannot really see how the expenditure could be reduced without seriously '^affecting the interests of the public j aervice. The incidence of taxation might be altered, and burdens now borne by one class of the community might be shifted on to the backs of another class or classes j the whole system of government might be altered, but the machinery must be kept running. It is a common opinion among severe democrats that the slightest approach to aristocratic or monarchical government entails enormous expense, but statistics prove to the contrary. It costs far more to run the United States than it does to run G-reat Britain. Our Governor's Balary is considered very high, and a sheer waste of money. It is £5000 a y6ar altogether — a mere fleabite in proportion to what it costs the States for their President. What most troubles the colony is not its national but its private debts. The cost of government and the interest on loan is not very serious, but the loans which have been contracted by harbor and other boards, and the burden of which falls upon the local residents, and may, and will if they can manage it, ultimately fall upon the colony, form a somewhat serious item. The colony in tbe main is financially sound to the very core ; its taxation is not by any means burdensome; every feature in its political and commercial condition is hopeful, and it behoves us all to " Thank God and take courage." "We should be sorry to advocate another loan just now, for the reason that there are few men at the head of affairs capable of, or likely to, properly and justly expend it. Were there a thoroughly reliable Government in power, and occupying a safe position on the Treasury benches, and had they a good House around them, another five million loan might be negotiated, expended for the welfare of the whole country, and nobody would feel the burden thereof.

It is rumored in "Wellington that; it is likely a proposition will be brought forward to offer Sir H. A. Atkikson a pension of a thousand a year on condition of his resigning the Premiership. The idea is absurd. Sir Ha.ebt may be in ill-health, but bo far he has proved himself capable of performing his duties. We have his ability ever since he PKtssumed the leadership, and have generally approved of his politics. But why should he retire upon a pension? He has been amply paid for the services he has rendered, and should have been able to accumulate enough to enable him to live in comfort for the terra of his natural life. We have no objection to a pension list, but really think it would be a sheer waste of public money to place Sir Habbt ATKorsoif on such a list.

*' Speech Is silvern ; silence is golden," is an oft-quoted utterance of Thomas Carlyle's. It would seem that many of the County Councils in Great Britain have been thinking the BubJ9ct over, and come to the conclusion that too much talk is not conducive to the progress of business, and does not add to the value of the reßult3 of such lengthened deliberations. They have therefore been in all direction* passing resolutions limiting the time to be occupied by any one speaker to ten minutes or a qutrtcr of an hour. In our local bodies in New Zonland few members ever make speeches of such length as even that, but the trouble i» that they will keep on speaking, defying all tho recognised rules of debate, and frequently addressing thenmelvtß half a doz-.-n times to the same motion. Seeing there is such a multiplicity of public corporations in the oolony, it would be a blessing to them, and a WeHßing to those whom duty compels to attend their meetings, if Parliament would pass some stringent rules regulating the manner of their procedure.