THE DEMAND FOR RETRENCHMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9095, 2 July 1888, Page 5

THE DEMAND FOR RETRENCHMENT.

[BY TH.ERRAPH. — OWN COBBKSPOKDBKT.] Hamilton', Saturday. About thirty people were present at the public meeting held to-day to call the attention of Parliament) to the necessity of further retrenchment. Mr. Coates, Mayor of Hamilton, occupied the chair. Mr. Swarbriek, in a speech againsb Protection, moved " Thab this meeting is of opinion thfvt the first duty of the Legislature in the present embarrassed state of the country's finance* is to balance the public expenditure with the ordinary revenue by further retrenchment, without resorting to an increased taxation." Mr. George Edgeeumbc advocated the carrying of retrenchment) to its utmost limit, and seconded the motion. Messrs. E. C. Shepherd and J. Parr supported tho motion, which wa« carried unanimously. Mr. W. A. Graham spoke against the Native Lands Act of the present Government, and prognosticated that it would end in ruin and disaster. Mr. J. J. Barugh then moved, and Mr. Von Sturmer seconded, " That in the opinion of this meeting the system of Government in this colony is entirely too costly for its circumstances and limited population." Carried. Mr. Seddon moved, '-That in the opinion of this meeting tho education and Railway Departments would bear much red notion without impairing their efficiency." He advocated fcho raising of the school ago to six, and free education to stop at the fourth standard, and the reduction of the rate of wages paid to railway employees. This was seconded by Mr. R. F. Sandes, and carried by 12 to 9. The chairman was requested to telegraph these resolutions to tho members for Waipa and Waikato.