The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1909. THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 573, 30 July 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1909. THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

The public Accounts of the Dominion arc of exceptional interest just now, and the figures for the June quarter of the current year have been awaited with much speculation and curiosity. Particulars of the revenue were published a week or two back, but the full details of ■ revenue and expenditure were made known for the first time last evoning, when they appeared in the current issue of the Gazette. The financial results of 1 the, first quarter of the year afford some - reason for congratulation, and they are '' in one respect disappointing. It ia satis.factory to note that the.revenue shows an increase of nearly £35,000 when com--5 pared with the corresponding quarter of . last year. It is disappointing to 1 find , that the expenditure shows an increase of a slightly larger amount, namely, ±'38,000. The question of most interest to , the general public is the expenditure and the effect on it of the retrenchment in the Public Service. Before touching on that aspect .of .the position it may bo as well to show, briefly, the state of the Domin--5 ion's finances at the end of Juno last as - compared with the position at the end of Juno, 1908. Herein concise form are the figures for the first quarter of each of the years stated: — Juno, 1908. June, 1909. •£ J! Balance at beginning of quarter 707,8-19 181,320 t Ordinary revenue ... 1,747,808 1,802,854 . Territorial revenue ... 967,7 m 23,741 3 Permanent anpropna- ! tions (expenditure) ... 967,756 9."i5,309 Annual appropriations I ' (expenditure) '■ ... 969,109' ■ 1,007,273 'Revenue .transferred . to Public Works ' .; ... 200,000 . nil Balance at end quartern 422,901 . ." 45.33J LLExam these futures it will bo Been that in.

1903 the new. financial year began with a crod.it of £767,849, and despite the transference of £200,000 to the Public Works Fiind, the. first quarter ended with a credit of; £422,901? This,year the country began with a credit of £184,320, and the first quarter ended with the credit reduced to £48,335', and of course nothing was available during the quarter for transference to the Public Works Fund. So much for the general. position. It will be readily seen from the figures quoted that the situation this year is much less pleasant to contemplate than it was.at the corresponding period of 1008. ■"■-..;..'...' Turning now to tho details of expenditure, the items with which the public are most concerned are those relating to the cost of working the various Departments sjf the Civil Service. It may bo stated ac once that those who have expected to witness any diminution in. the cost of government as a result of the retrenchments so far carried out will be disappointed. For the first'timo in the history of the .Dominion the Departmental appropriations for tho June quarter have exceeded one million pounds. The figures for the quarter referred to for the past four years are as follow: — : '.- jc '.■'.■ ' ,':■'■■--1908 V.;' ... ... ...'711,032 ..'. 1907 ... .... ... ... 909.739 ' 1908 .... ... -909,109 ;•..'•' 1909 ... .... ... ... 1,007,273 , ' The steady and substantial incrcaso in the cost of government will be noted. Instead of : decreases in the cost: of the various Departments there have.been, in-, creases 'in 16 .and •• decreases ■ in, 11—the total cost; as.shown'"'being .'grcator".than ever before.! This may appear rather disquieting: toythose .who haye./buiit .their hopes.,-high; oil;;. tho Wimster'b promise'of a saving ;pf!£2sb,oV;:per annum 'in. tljese Dcp'arthlenfeiiiifc.'tit is too ■early yet to attempt 'situation.. In a great mariy;||palp" the retrenchment has taken-' pWtt' in name only: thatis to say, have been .retired but they ! have iieen given three months' notice or three months' pay, and the saving to the country will not be operative until their names aro, removedfrom tho .salary list. Tho Railways Department,'which; shows the largest increase, course the Manawatu iailwayand the completed, portion of the? Main 'Trunk line added to its working' cost, and this may account for the greater ;parfc of the.'increase here.', Taking'the' position as a wholo,,it is ; plain that the Government must exercise every .possible care and economy in ' the administration .of the country's affairs. While encoiirag' ,in'g. signs of'a brighter outlook are not, ;wariting,'?it would bo supremely'foolish? to pretend that there is any'justification for the slightest relaxing of, the,purseStrillgs. ' ' '-, •■'.':' '■;-' .'j-.J- '■'..■