Retrenchment.

Evening Star, Issue 7420, 16 January 1888, Page 2

Retrenchment.

While we have been talking about retrenchment, the Parliament of New Zealand has been following the lead of the Government in actually carrying it out, and in very wholesale style too. What is more important is that the Premier has begun at the top, and has reduced the Governor's salary from L 7.500 to L 5,000. Our Civil servants have been grumbling greatly because mere increases that should never have been granted are to be taken off; but how would they like their s.ilaries to be reduced one-third ? Of course a reduction of this kind must make a great change in the hospitalities of Government House, and will cause the post of Governor to be less coveted, because there are certain expenses connected with keeping up the establishment that are unavoidable, and the margin for reduction is mainly in entertainments. The Premier has reduced his own salary from L 1.750 to LI,OOO, which is a more I self-denying ordinance than he has imposed upon the Governor; and he has reduced the other Ministerial salaries from LI ,250 to LBOO. Having done this, he has been able with a better face to turn to hon. members and ask them to accept the application of the shears to their own honorarium. His Bill reduces the pay of members of the Upper House from L2lO a year to LIOO, and that of the Lower House from L2lO to Ll5O. A minority was very bitter in opposition, and that proves that there is a certain number of members who look upon the money as not merely payment of expenses, but as a bona fide livelihood. To the credit of the Assembly, however, the Bill was read a second time by the large majority of 56 to 14 ; and having done that, they can with a clear conscience enforce any necessary reductions in the Civil Service. There is something in this action of the New Zealand Assembly which ought not to bo lost sight of by our own hon. members. We have a deficit of mora than L 2,500,000, and it is still growing, and yet a member of the Government has promised to introduce a Bill to give L3OO a year to 120 members. Is there any justification for paying so much to so many ? and if such a vote is passed, with what face can severe and even cruel economies be enforced elsewhere?— Sydney 'Mail.'