RETRENCHMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9093, 29 June 1888, Page 3

RETRENCHMENT.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —" Happy Thought," who is so ready to cut down our education system, appears to have entirely overlooked one important point—that is, the probability that while retrenchment was carried out in this manner not a single penny would be saved in the direction where • economy is most needed (namely, the extravagant system of our Government). The whole army of officials, from the governor downwards, pensioners and all, would continue to draw their salaries, and other so-called necessary expenses would be paid as merrily as ever ; and I respectfully urge my fellow-taxpayers to object to any alteration in the State education until there is some guarantee that the money so saved will not be squandered in helping to retain the present system of government. I venture to think we should insist first upon a reduction in the number of members of the House of Representatives and Legislative Council, and of Government officials, to the lowest workable number, and perhaps the costly luxury of a courtly pompous Agent-General in London cut down to a more economical representative. We got on very well formerly, before the advent of Sir Julius Vogel, with much less pretentious agents. A real earnest retrenchment, as above indicated, being made, no one could then reasonably object to the proposed reductions in the cost of our State education.—l am, etc., Paterfamilias.