THE BUDGET.

Evening Star, Issue 7358, 2 November 1887, Page 2

THE BUDGET.

HOW IT WA^'ItECEIV^). [From Our Pa&iamknt'aby R^okteb.]-* WELLINGTON. November 1. No sooner had the excitement consequent on the receipt of the result of the Melbourne Cup race cooled down than a stampede was made for the Parliament.RoUdin : g*>.in order to hear Major Atkinson deliver his Financial Statement. Ministers had kept their proposals very Beoret, and as a conse.quence. everyone was anxious to hear what the nature of the retrenchment scheme was to he. It was not surprising, therefore, to find that the ladies' and strangers' galleries were filled, and that several persons who had gained the right of entr6e behind the chair and the Speaker's gallery were unable to get s*atlng accommodation. There were seventy-five members of the elective Chamber and twenty Legislative Councillors present. A perusal of the Statement will show that from time to time I have sailed very close to the wind in foreshadowing the nature of the Ministerial proposals, while my forecast of to-day proves to have been absolutely correct.

Major Atkinson spoke Blowly and deliberately, but occasionally got mixed over bis figures. Little attention seemed to be given to the earlier part of the Statement, which dealt with the last year's deficit, or to his explanations concerning the position of the Consolidated Fund, hilt when the question of the Tariff was reached members seemed suddenly to become deeply absorbed, and followed the Treasurer closely; The statement that the Cabinet had determined not to deal with the Tariff this session caused the Protectionist element .in the House to cry out" Oh." Whereupon Major Atkinson humorously remarked " I will repeat that again, sir, with your permission;" and on his proceeding to say that the Government were strongly of opinion that it should not be touched until it could be so dealt with as not' to need further serious revision for a considerable time to come, the Freetraders in the House then had their turn, and applauded heartily. The intimations that substantial reductions would be made in the Ministerial salaries and allowances, and that some of the Ministerial residences would be sold, were wellreceived by the Committee } but there was tin ominous silence' when the reduction of the, honoraria And an increase of. the Property Tax to a penny were announced. Referring to the proposed -reduction of the number of members, Major Atkinson said that though the Statement promised necessary reforms of the electoral laws next session, the Government proposed, if time permitted, to take the work in hand this session. Major Atkinson was cheered on resuming his seat, and Sir Julius Vogel rose to ask when it was likely that the tables to be appended to the Statement would be printed and circulated. The Treasurer replied that the tables, together with the Estimates, would be distributed on the following day. Sir J. Vogel: When does thehon. gentleman propose to take the discussion on the Statement.

The Premier: As soon as it suitß my hon. friend ; I will name Friday if that will suit him. J should not like to ask the House to interfere with private members' clays bo early in the session. Sir J. Vogel: Does the hon. gentleman propose to take the discussion in Committee or in the House.

, The Premier: In the House I should suggest on going into Committee. Sir J. Vogel: Usually it has been the case to take a week at least to consider the Financial Statement. lam prepared to say, so far as I am concerned, and speaking for myself, that it will be necessary on this occasion to take a whole week. It may be desirable to go on with the discussion at an earlier date, and perhaps it would be as well to adjourn the matter till Friday. If we are not prepared to go into the Statement then, it can be postponed till the following day. The Premier said he was willing to meet the views of the House on the matter, and agreed to the course suggested. Sii J. Vogel wanted to know when the Works Statement was likely to oonie down, but Major Atkinson said he could not give the information asked for. The Budget proposals had better be discussed first. The Statement was well received, and is generally regarded as a masterly production. Of course the Protectionists are dissatisfied with the decision not to revise the Tariff during the present session, and may_ be depended on to enter their protest against the delay asked for; while some hon. members, goaded by "the roar for retrenchment," think that the reductions, especially in the Defence and Education Departments, are not sufficiently drastic. The tables appended to the Statement are not yet (10 p.m.) in the hands of hon. members, and will not be circulated to-night; but T am in receipt of an advance copy. The following figures show the Estimates brought down by the late Government and the revised Estimates for twelve months, after giving full effect to the proposals of the Government:—

For the year ended March 31, 1888, have just been circulated. They show the following items of interest to Otago:—Attendants and servants at the Seacliff Asylum are increased from L 3,490 to L 3.710. The deputy-secretary of deeds at Dunedin is reduced from L 350 to L3OO, and the deeds clerk from L3OO to L 250. The telegraphists at Oamaru are increased from L 775 to LB4O ; the exchange clerk at Oamaru from LSO to L6O; the cadet in the Dunedin Post Office from L 75 to L9O; the telegraphists in DunedinfromX3,sso't6L3,74o; the exchange clerks, from L 495 to L 54 5; the messenger at Abbotsford (new appointment), L 26; cadets at Balclutha, from to L 19 0; messenger at Caversham (new appointment), L3B ; the telegraphist at Lawrence, from LBO to L 100; the letter-carrier at Milton is reduced from L65t0L55; ditto at Mosgiel, from L 46 to L 36; the postmaster at Naseby, from L 236 to L 18 5; a messenger at Outram (hew appointment), gets L 36; the telegraphist at Palmerston is 0 0; the postmaster at Portobello, L2O, is discontinued ; the clerk, and telegraphist at Port Chalmers are reduced from L 375 to LIBO, and the assistant from L 65 to LSO; a messenger at Waikouaiti (new appointment) gets L 3 6; .124 country postmasters , are. reduced from LBSO to to L 800; the clerks at the Customs, Dunedin, from L 490 to L 37 0; the landing waiters at Dunedin from L 1.220 to L 1.200; the ganger (L22o)is discontinued; the lockers are reduced from L 695 to L 525. The tide waiter, boatmap, and engine driver of the steam launch at Port Chalmers (L 461), and the clerk and looker at Oamaru (L 120) are discontinued, The gaoler at Dunedin is increased from L 370 to L3BO ; the warders are reduced from L9()0to L 600; the assistant:warders from LBl'o to L 405. The drafßtmen in the Survey Department from L 9.923 to L 8.748; the Crown grant draftsmen from LI.OOO to L 77 5; the Land Transfer Department from L 2,835 to L 2.560 ; the clerks from L7Bl to L 700; and the cadets from L 1.870 to L 1,700. - Opposition Tactics; The action to be taken on the Budget proposals has not yet been determined on, but they are sure to be met with an amendment objecting to the question of the encouragement of local industries being postponed. Leading Oppositionists say that they have not yet had time to consider the figures in the Statement, which they, admit is an able production. . ■•.•■." ; . Lobby Opinions. .. s , , i ; ', The Statement is generally regaided as an able-and honest attempt to grapple with the present difficulties; but exception is taken to the loan: proposals and" the increase bf lihePropertyTax. ''Somen'on. memberssiy that ihedefioieridy''bills wfll only prevent extra.taxatioii this year, and: [thatnos prp-visionHisj-ihade'for'next yean. But *t|ie to th» Statement, and toot

*et circulated; will show fatityc the future we shallbe *blMo live within <bnr income* «n, that-recourse to extra taxation will be unnecessary. r_. ■ '. * , V ■ H-t ' WHAT PAPERS [Specie to Tfps Stab.] i The ' Press' says thaMihe retrenchment policy isaot so the loan policy, but not the Ims importantand commendable. The items of savings are described as wonderful results, totally falsifying the predic, tion that no good thing could come out of Nazareth. The Statement is eminently calculated to re-establish pablic credit and to restore progress at no distant date. I The 'LytteltonTimes' says the full ini debtedness of Major Atkinson, to his predecessors is revealed. ' Showy items are added to the programme, but they a.re, not a .good, {' >lari of retrenchment. His figures are not ess reliable than Sir J. Vogef's, bnt are a little hazy, and much is left in the region of things promised. The proposed uniformity of land tenure is condemned as dangerous, but all deviations sink into insignificance beside the postponement of fiscal questions. In addition to delusive retrenchment, we have a bad and disfigured copy )f an excellent all-round policy, which has given many good results during the last three years. The Opposition chief back in office with a loan proposal advocated in the Erecise terms employed by bis predecessor 1 the return for six months wasted, for the turmoil of a general election; and for the disorganisation of the whole political creed we now have a very bad copy, with worse deviations, of the Stout-Yogel policy, and to reconcile us to it we are offered a scheme of retrenchment transparently deWsive. Why have we changed Governments t All the Wellington papers strongly approve 6f the Statement The« Post/ which has consistently opposed the Ministry, says: " In the Financial Statement we recognise a brave and honest attempt to face the difficulties of .the position in which the Colony stands; It affords a remarkably clear and able exposition of the condition of affairs a,nd of the difficulties which hive to be "met; There is no sign of any desire to either (gloss over or to exaggerate anything either for party purposes or in an alarmist spirit; ' and the policy is an infinitely better ; one than could reasonably have been expected to be submitted. The reductions in the Education vote are pronounced to be ' altogether inadequate." The article Concludes: "Of the general character of the 1 proposals in regard to the prosecution of 1 public works we thoroughly approve, and Major Atkinson most conclusively establishes the fact that a million loan is inevitable, and ! the only way of avoiding a serious disaster to the Colony and an amount of individual suffering which it would be terrible to contemplate. With reference to the Midland Railway contract, the Statement is vague, but it inspires the hope of a satisfactory termination of the existing difficulties conI nected with this matter. It now only 1 remains for us to say that last nights ' Budget speech was one of the most able and \ straightforward statements of the kind ever 1 delivered in this Colony, and one which ' must greatly enhance Major Atkinson's ' credit as a financier and a statesman." >

Major AtkinThe Stout-Vopel son's EstiE timates. mates for 1888-89. Ordinary Revenue Account.. £1,061,410 £2,025 950 Annual Appropriations .. 2,108,302 1,809,250 Land Fund AccDunt ., .. 179,307 102,300 3.937,500 Thesavings in the annual appropriations Leeis'ntive Department .. £?6,000 £15,500 Colonial Secretary .. .. 152,530 138,900 Colonial Treasurer .. .. 37.603 26,300 S'arap and Deeds .. 27,476 26,450 Postal and Telegraphic .. 275,925 274,400 Customs and Ma'ine .. .. 75,038 65,200 106,900 319,600 14,900 20,900 WorkiDR Railways .. .. 748,000 710,000 Public Uuildings and Domains 36,450 15,100 139,100 The Estimates