The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1867.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2136, 25 October 1867, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1867.

Passing from the political expenses of the Provincial Government and those which are essential to the social well-being of the community, we come to the department of Public Works. "We have shewn that the political expenses admit of a very considerable reduction, amounting to fully one-third. In the case of hospitals, gaols, and police, very considerable savings might be effected by the introduction of greater economy and regularity in their management. But the institutions cannot be dispensed with, and increasing population may necessitate even further expense. We have accordingly estimated the reductions which might be effected in those cases at only ten per cent. But now we come to a department in regard to which certain very distinct principles may be laid down. We take first of all the department usually styled Land and Works, which is understood to refer to what are essentially works of settlement. Here we can recogni.se but one principle, which is that the expenditure must be rigorously proportioned to the income. It is surely intelligible enough that the expenses of settlement should be proportioned to the money received for the purchase of land. We have urged that two kinds of expenditure should ho rnet in this way, namely Immigration and Education. For the former purpose a certain definite proportion Bhouldbe set apart, and if the outlay for each year were decided by the Land Revenue for the year previous, the estimate ought to be a satisfactory one. Were this important business decided upon a fixed and recognised principle, there might be some hope oi an end being put to the jealousies and suspicions which are entertained by some when the subject of immigration 1 is mentioned. Capital will not flow into a colony unless there be a suffii cient supply of labour to render investments profitable, Immigrants . ought not to be introduced unless | there be capital sufficient to find their employment. When the introductior of both capital and labour ie stayed, the land remains in its pastora ', state, and agriculture and manufac i tures make no progress.

iiie provision ior education ougtic also to be proportioned to the land sales, but only in the way of Making sufficient reserves for the maintenance of schools. We have little doubt but that the day of money-votes for education will soon come to an end, and the management of the State endowments in land become an important department. But for some time at least, iu order to preserve existing engagements inviolate, the cost of the Educational department might fairly be looked on as a first charge upon the pasturage rents, The land fund should first be devoted! to surveys, roads, and bridges, Of course whatever returns are obtained from public works will go to the credit of the fund. And we should also expect to see a part of the loan

devoted to the erection of the larger bridges, Taking into consideration the great falling off of the land revenue, we conaider the departmental expenses must submit to a very great reduction. No excuse can any longer be made for retaining the office of Secretary for Public Works. The Waste Lands Board' itself, which has never been guilty ot extravagance, can for the future do with a single clerk, aiid be glad to find sufficient occupation for him. The Survey department will be large enough at one-third its present size and cost, both in Christclmrch and

inTimaru, TheEoad Inspector may himself superintend all the main roads in the Province, for about half the present cost of his office. And public buildings may in almost every case remain without enlargement. One word, at present, may suffice as to the great public works. The balance ot the loan which remains to be appropriated to the north of the lkngitata must be derotad exclusively to these works, and in the first instance to the satisfactory completion of those which are in hand. Before any new schemes are entered upon, the public will expect that the harbour works and the line of railway thence to Christchurch shall be speedily completed, with the means, novv at length, fortunately, in our power. It will be the fault of the public, and still more

of tlieir representatives, if these works are not conducted with efficiency and f •with economy. We throw out these hints in the ( direction of a great reduction of public < expenditure, in the hope that they will be taken up and energetically; ] carried out. But we would deprecate i the idea that their expression on our ] part is the result of any feeling of 1 despair ns to the ultimate, and not very remote, prosperity of the province. Only the wasteful extravagance of those in power, or the wrongheaded animosity of their opponents, can endanger our public welfare. The resources of the province are great, and we think we can see the way to a considerable increase to its revenues, without having recourse to the final measure of direct taxation.