The New Zealand Herald. AUCKLAND, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1867.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 1127, 25 June 1867, Page 4

The New Zealand Herald.

AUCKLAND, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1867.

SPECTEMOR AGENDO. " Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice : Taie each man's censnre, but reservo thy judgment. This above all,—To thine own self be true And it must follow, as tho night the day, Tliou oanfit not then te false to any man."

After the notices of motion were disposed of yesterday, tlie Provincial Treasurer read to tlie Council a statement, of income and expenditure, and of tlie reductions made in tlie provincial staff and of tlie salaries of tlie officers whose services are still retained. No doubt it is a very disagreeable duty to be compelled to reduce the provincial establishments, but this is absolutely necessary under existing circumstances. The proposed reductions in the staff are as follows :—The services of the Provincial Treasurer, of the clerk in tlie Accountant's office; the Assistant Engineer, the clerk and draughtsman, aud the clerk and accountant in the Engineer-in-Chief s office, thus leaving the Engineer-in-Chief without any clerk. He is to provide any clerical assistance he may require, and a draughtsman at the Waste Lands office is to do any draughting yrork that may be required by the Engineer-in-Chief. The salary of the latter is at the usual rate of £800 a year, but £150 of this is paid by the General Government to him in the capacity of manager of telegraphs. Pive policemen and five warders at the gaol, as also tlie engineer of the stone-break-ing machine are to be discharged. In addition to the reductions above named, the salaries of all officers who receive £250 a-year are to be reduced 20 per cent. The total saving for the half-year, carrying out this scheme, will be £2172.

The discussion on these reductions was entered into last night, bat it was felt that members were not fully able to consider the important changes referred to without time for consideration. Hence the debate was adjourned till to-day. The only speakers who referred at any length to the subject, were Messrs. Wynn and Creighton ; the former specially alluded to the fact that Mr. Bussell was dismissed, and asked why he should not have been kept on and the Engineer-in-Chief discharged; while Mr. Creigliton, on the other hand, was inclined to act as champion for the Engineer-in-Chief. It is this feeling of partizanship which makes it so difficult to make reductions in a Government establishment; but we trust that during the debate this day the public service and the public benefit will alone be kept in view by members, and not the interests of particular individuals, however deserving they may be.