THE COLONIAL TREASURER'S UTTERANCES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 101, 2 April 1881, Page 2

THE COLONIAL TREASURER'S UTTERANCES.

Majoe Atkinson's address to his constituents has been freely commented on by the Press of the colony. Journals which generally approve of the Ministerial policy appear to have been pretty well satisfied with the deliverance of the Treasurer, whilst the Opposition papers seem to be rejoicing over the fact that the loudest of the croakers has come down iroin his airy perch, in. order that he might prove to dwellers in the colony and the outside world that the black cloud of depression has been dispelled, and that New Zealand, like Harulet, is herself again. Our representative, in his addresses at Fatea, Kakaramea, Manutahi, Hawera, and Norrnanby, confined himself to a retrospect of the past; but as the financial year closed on Thursday, and as he intends to speak at New Plymouth on Tuesday night, we may obtain a clearer insight as to Ministerial intentions during the coming Session. For our own part, we never believed that the position of the colony was anything so bad as depicted by the present Colonial Treasurer, when he took office. Heaven knows, it was bad enough ; but Major Atkinson was too eager to let the worst be known; and in his anxiety to let the light into the recesses of the Treasury, and to show the pujmc how hollow and empty were its coffers, he overshot the mark. If he did good at the time by his plain speaking, there can be little doubt that he also did a considerable amount of harm ; and Mr. Reader Wood's clever speech, at which colonists only laughed, was eagerly laid hold of by that section of the English Press which, for reasons of its own, has done its best to injure the credit of the colony. We confess, therefore, that we felt a sense of relief when we heard Major Atkinson say that no further taxation would be needed ; that our receipts would balance our expenditure ; and that we might look forward to a return of the prosperity of former years. He took credit, and justly so, for the savings that had been effected by the Ministry. No cry at an election time is more popular than "retrenchment," and as we previously remarked, all are disposed to approve of it in the abstract. But when our own corns come to be pared, none of us stand the operation very cheerfully. We can well believe Mr. Bryce when he said that the reductions in his own department cost him many anxious and sleepless nights. In a small colony like New Zealand, with a sparse population, and an overgrown Civil Service, it would, indeed, be a cause for wonderment if the reductions that have been effected had not caused serious discontent, and turned som ■ warm friends into bitter opponents. But the pruning knife was necessary, however disagreeable, and the Ministry are deserving of the thanks of the colony for having had the courage to apply it. Most persons who have paid attention to politics were aware that the 10 per cent, reduction was not to be permanent, ana will be disposed to agree with the remark made by Major Atkinson at Hawera, that some persons would be dear at ;8100, whilst others might be cheap at jJIOOO. What is really needed is a sweeping away of a lot of the useless weeds which found a refuge in the Government Buildings throughout the colony, but more especially at Wellington. The Civil Service ought to be open to every boy in New Zealand who aspires to enter it, provided he is able to pass the necessary examination. This has been done in England, and the colony of Victoria has adopted the same plan. In a new country, it is surprising that so many young men should be desirous of entering a service where the rewards are so few, and for our own part we should advise youths who are possessed of pluck and energy to look for something better than mere "genteel" employment. But the Civil Service of this colony, or any other colony, ought not to be made a refuge for young gentlemen oi polite breeding who may choose to come from Great Britain to sow their " wild oats." There are few Ministers who ar able to withstand the pressure brought to bear upon them in this respect. Throw the Civil Service open to all, and let competitive examination be the test. That will take away a great deal of the temptation that besets the path of a Colonial" Minister, who may not have the courage to say "No." Theoretically, what we suggest is supposed to be the rule, but we are too well aware, from our own experience, that it has not been the practice. The people of the colony have made a great effort to rid themselves of some of the branches of the Upas tree which weighed so heavily upon them. They should take care that the second state should not be worse than the first. If they do not watch closely, the Civil Service may, ere many years, grow larger and more expensive than ever. That has been the case in some of the other colonies. A healthy public opinion is the surest safeguard against its recurrence, here.

In the matter of Education, the questions put to Major Atkinson at Normanby by Messrs. G. lukster and T. Robson have been echoed all over the colony. In a democratic country, as the speaker observed, it is absolutely necessary that the people should be educated. But education ought to be brought to the door of all the people, wherever it is possible to do so. Vast sums of money are being spent in providing what is vaguely termed "higher education" for people who can well afford to pay, and who ought to pay, tor the luxury ; whilst the children of poor settlers have sometimes to go without even a knowledge of the " three R's." It is idle for Major Atkinson to say that the high schools are as much for the poor as I for the rich. That may have been the intention ; but we aBk — Is it so ? Those who may have any doubts upon the point — we have none whatever — have only to go and see for themselves at the various" centres. In Dunedin, in Christchurch, in Wellington, in Auckland, these higher schools are attended, in nine cases out of ten, by children whose parents could well afford to pay for them. In Wanganui it is the same, and in New Plymouth we are much mistaken if it will be different. Whilst the Education Boards in the two latter places have been profuse in their

expenditure in connection with these high schools, the poor unfortunate country people in their districts find it hard to get a small addition, or even to get a teacher ; whilst the building of new schools is almost out of the question, unless a very strong case is made out. That

there ought to be scholarships in connection with our primary schools, is a subject upon which most people are agreed ; but that the bulk of the people of the colony will continue to educate the children of well-to-do citizens is out of

the question. At the next election, candidates will hear a good deal on this subject, or else we fail to note the signs of the times.

Major Atkinson has not satisfied everybody, nor was it expected that he would be able to do so. He apparently has taken to heart the lesson conveyed hi the falale of the " Old Man and his Ass," and he went in for a fair fight with his opponents. The way in which he was pilloried at the southern end created a good deal of sympathy for him at Hawera and Normanby, although the people of the batter township strongly showed their resentment to Mr. Rolleston's memorandum, in reference to the approaches to the bridge. That the through line of railway from Foxton to New Plymouth has not been finished is, in our opinion, a national disgrace ; but we do not think for one moment that any person who aspires to be a statesman could possibly wish to see a gap of 20 or 30 miles in a length of nearly 200. If Major Atkinson could be so narrow-minded as some would fain make the public believe that he is, he would be unworthy ot a seat at a County Council, much less at the meetings of the Executive. He may not, it is true, have been as persistent at "logrolling" as those who got the railway from Nelson to Foxhill, and other lines of a similar character. We cannot condemn him for his failing in that respect, although we sympathise with our friends at Patea. But could any member have clone more for the district as a whole ? We very much doubt it. It is easy to condemn, but it is hard to accomplish.