TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1881

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3159, 13 August 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1881

Mr. Bhyce has given notice of motion " that while recognising the efforts made by the Government to effect retrenchment the House is of opinion that by further reduction of salaries and amalgamation of offices a further reduction of £30,000 should be made in the aggregate of salaries on the present estimates." As an ex-Minister of the Government Mr Bryce may be expected to know as well as any of bis late colleagues in what direction savings can be effected by a judicious reduction of salaries. The Wellington Post recently stated that nobody can help noticing, on glancing down the Estimates, how numerous the large salaries still continue. But it is not so easy to lay down a rule by which they can be reduced without the country being a loser. Take, for instance, several of the £800 or £900 salaries. If those were diminished the officers, who in most cases tire public servants of very long standing, would retire on their pensions. So even if their successors were paid £200 or £300 less the country would be an annual loeer, if the aggregate sums paid in salary and pension were taken into account, besides possibly being less efficiently served. This does not apply to all the higher-salaried officers. For instance the Colony is absolutely drenched with 'Inspectors' of all sorts and sizes and salaries—the last, however, always liberal in amount. In this class there is room for extensive reduction without any loss to the Colony, and in some cases '

with pi.Jt:ve advantage to tbe public service. Retrenchment in the direction as above 'Viicated is very different t:; :in all-round f< 3 u per cent, and indiscriminate reduction of salaries. As the Dnnedin Star remarks, the salaries in the large and thoroughly-organised departments, such as «he Postal, Telegraph, and f'u'-toms, have I; ten always on a very moderate scale, and it would surprise many of the public to learn for what small pittances the Post Office clerk?, for instance, fulfil laborious and responsible duties. The feti per cent, reduction affected all alike — officers who had g-adually crept up, in the departments we have named, affer years of service to positions of £200, or, perhaps, £300 a-year, and the lucky new chum*, who, by Mini°terial or backstairs patronase, been shunted on to the Kailway Department, or ensconced at dejks in the Audit or Treasury offices. Another contemporary, with much truth points out the difficulty surrounding wholesale retrenchment, "and says that, perhaps, the most formidable obstacle of all is the resistance which the public invariably offer to the details of reduction, however they may clamour for retrenchment in the nbstract. Each locality believes staunchly in retrenchment until it is found that this means curtailing , its local; nveniences, reducing the number and pay of local officer?, limiting mail services, postponing further works, and so forth. Then there is a prompt howl of execration from the very people who had clamoured loudest for retrenchment. That is the trouble. Everybody wants somebody else to be retrenched, and not himseK. Each district thinks that all other districts ought to be largely retrenched, but scouts the idea that this process should be applied to itself as well. With a general election immediately impending, we do not believe that members will dare to disregard this popular weakness and advocate impartial retrenchment. If they did venture to against some local extravagance which their constituents look on as a necessary of life, their chance of re-election would he poor indeed. It i-i to be feared that this will materially impair the chnnce of substantial retrenchment being effected this session.