The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5958, 10 October 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1890.

In his printed address to tho, electors of Waikato Mr Bryco has put tho condition of the colony carefully and thoughtfully before thy pooplo. Ho lias not overstated tho financial emb<irras«meuts of the country, nor has ho endeavored to hide them by ignoring them altogether under a cloud of claptrap. As for tho remedy, ho says ho is no quack charlatan with nostrums warranted to euro all evils, for wo had enough of those. " Rather " hu continued, " I would be regarded as tho prudent physician careful only to reraovo obstructions to tho free procoss of nature. Iv this ca.o there is no royal road to recoverynothing but tho old beaten paths, prudenoo, economy, hard work." In his address ho points out that tho publio do not sufficiently appreciate that a very largo part of this colony's expenditure does not admit of retrenchment—tho payments can neither be reduced nor evaded. Tho interest and sinking fund on our public debt alone, by the Treasurer's lust statement amounts to £1,875,000, and the other payments fixed by statute to £268,000 additional. Iv tho interest ou our dobt and other charges fixed by law wo have thus £2,1-14,000 to which the pruning knife cannot bo applied. The items of roveuitc absorbed by theso fixed charges include the whole of the estimated customs revenuo (say), £1,37.7,000, tho whole of the property tax £356,000, tho beer duty £54,000, registration £39,300, marine £19,700, miscellaneous £40,000, and £201,000 from the stamp duties to mako up the total. All those items, tho most important sources of our revenuo, are required tc pay charges wo cannot hope to altor. After doing thin let us sco what is loft to promote settlement and carry on tho Government of the country. Proiits on working railways £-102,000, Depasturing Rents £191,000, proceeds of debentures on sinking fund increases £-288,000, balance of stamps duties £351,000, total £1,232,000. Leaving out of consideration the land revenue, and laud department, which for years has not paid its way, of our yearly revenue wo use £2,144,000 to discharge liabilities we can neither alter or avoid, and we havo less than one and a-quarter millions left to aid the land fund in tho promotion of settlc-i-nt and to carry on the wholo government of the

colony where not provided for by Statute. Perhaps the full signifiance of the position will be seen when it is seen that out of this J3L232,000 the Departments of Defence and Police, Justice, Post and Telegraph, and Education, demand more than £900,000, leaving little more than £300,000 for the remaining Departments of Government, for Legislation and its Departments, and for the aid of the land fund in the promotion of settlement. With these figures before us it is hard to see how there can be any reduotion of taxation. It is only, in fact, by the strictest economy that an increase can be avoided. The position will allow of no experiments either in the selection of legislators, or iv administration. If the new Parliament should be composed of as thoughtful, prudent, and trusty men as Mr Bryce has shown himself to be, there is hope for the colony. But if the electors are going to select their representatives from the inexperienced and frothy candidates who are seeking a bubble reputation at the expense of the people, then we may look forward to a fireworks polioy and additional burdens