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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2135, 24 October 1867, Page 2

Retrenchment is no longer the word which will describe the necessary changes required in our Provincial institutions, or what will satisfy reasonable demands. A thorough remodelling of the details is what our present circumstances imperatively call for, and what is certain, in one way or another, to be effected. Quite apart from the separation of Westland, and the partial independence of Timaru, the work of the Provincial Government has been considerably reduced, and especially in the matter of legislation. In order to accommodate the machinery of Government to theso circumstances, and at the same time to our reduced income, it is absolutely necessary that the whole system should be revised, or, as we have said, remodelled. But, iu considering this question, it will be as well to keep clearly before us the distinction between the purely political expenses which are connected with the Provincial Government, and those departmental expenses which must continue under any form of Governmeut that might be substituted for it. This will narrow, to a very considerable extent, the ground of difference between ourselves and those who cry out for the abolition of our Provincial institutions. The only objections which we can imagine may be brought against these institutions is, that they are costly in themselves, and that they cannot exert an efficient and sufficiently economical control over the departments. We are strongly of opinion that Provincial Government may in itself be made more economical than any which the central authority could substitute in its place. We also hold as firmly, that its control over the departments may be both more economical and more efficient. Our reason for maintaining these views is one which we have repeatedly expressed, and for which we again aslc particular attention. It is

that the Provincial Government is inore iinmodiatoly amenable to the influence of public opinion than any form deriving its authority from the General Government at • "Wellington would be. \Ve scarcely see how it cau be necessary to adduce any arguments in support of this view. The Provincial Council holds its authority directly from the people, and upholds or

eraovos the Executive as it pleases. ?he Superintendent is himself directly lominated by the people. And while lis measures cannot always be univerially acceptable, he must himself be >no who enjoys the confidence of those who elected him to a very considerable extent. If not, the people are themielvos to blame. But we cannot see liow the fact of his being appointed by others would entitle him to greater confidence, or would make his measures more acceptable. We will take the political expenses of the Provincial Government first. These amount in all to sii thousand four hundred pounds, according to the estimates for the current nine months. In reality, we believe their amount is somewhat less j for one or two of the items, such as the expenses for the members of the Provincial Council, seem to be all that would be required for twelve months, Still wo have ! thought it better to give the full amount. Our impression is, that most people will besurprised to find the cost so small, considering the great amount of t talk about extravagance on this head. 1 But it is unquestionably capable of J considerable reduction. Whether the i members of the Provincial Council are < to be reduced in number or not, their j expenses might easily be curtailed. ; Were the sum upon this year's esfci- . mates reduced to live hundred pounds, i so that, while due provision was made for their comfort, there was no payment of daily allowances or travelling expenses, the result would be satisfactory in an economical point of view, and would probably also conduce to a considerable saving of time, by shortening the session. Surely, in times , such as these, requiring economy and energy, earnest and well qualified men will be found patriotic enough to accept the honour of serving their country as a sufficient reward, Again, we do not see why the office of Provincial Solicitor should continue to be a political one, or why the Crown Prosecutor should not afford as much private legal advice as the Government may require. The partial surrender of the work of legislation into the hands of the General Assembly renders the necessity for this office no greater than when held in former times in conjunction with the office to which we would now re-unite it, or when held by Mr (now Judge) Gresson, while not a member of the Provincial Council. Keluctant as we are to propose a reduction of the salary attached to such an office as that held by the Superintendent, which, like the Governor's we consider should be diminished only in the case of a new appointment, we still think that considering the altered state of affairs, both public and private, it might without any loss of dignity or influence to the office, allow of reduction from fifteen hundred to a thousand a year. But it must be remembered that this reduction is beyond the power of the Council to effect, and can only be done by the Superintendent himself. The other salaries we would in like manner reduce by twenty per cent. The result of these changes would be that we should have only one salaried member of the Executive Council besides the Superintendent, and that a reduction of two thousand two hundred pounds would have been effected. In the departments of gaols, police, charity, hospitals, asylum, immigration, and education, it is not easy to see how a greater reduction than ten per cent, upon the gross sum could be effected. And even this would be secured, not by distributing it equally throughout, but' by reductions to a much greater extent in some particular items. Still, as these departments are calculated in the current estimates at the rate of sixty-four thousand pounds annually, the saving would after all be something considerable. At the same time we must not lose sight of the fact that these are the departments which will not admit of much tampering with, unless to the general injury of the public interests. These, too, are precisely the departments for which in other countries the inhabitants have to impose direct taxation on themselves. And to this we must very soon be brought after the extinction of Provincial institutions. This is the only remedy Auckland will now have, unless it can obtain a bounty from the General Government out of the surplus funds of other provinces. If these departments are to pass into the hauds of the General Government, the period will be a very short one during which they will be maintained otherwise than by direct local taxation. We distinctly recognise these facts. And, as we are auxious to see a true economy practised, and tho days of direct local taxation not uuduly hastened, it is our natural endeavour to shew plainly where reductions may, and where they may not, be largely effected.