THE ESTIMATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9124, 4 August 1888, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— special correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. After a purposeless discussion, extending through the evening sitting yesterday, tho House at last got into Committee of Supply at an early hour this morning. The party fight about the "ins and outs" being over, a number of the members went to bed, the Estimates being deemed of little moment, and their consideration was left to a little more than a score of sleepy and half-dazed members. The result was what might have been expected. Three classes of the EstimatesJustice, Defence, and Lands—were cantered through in three hours, votes to the extent of £277, being passed without a penny reduction, although the retrenchment party, in their review of the estimates, had shown clearly possible reductions to the extent of £40,000. The retrenchment party did their best, Messrs. Goldie, R. Thompson, and Monk, moving reduction after reduction, and challenging division after division, but fruitlessly. Mr. Monk became at last more frank than polite, and declared in ' the review of the Defence Estimates, in reply to the predictions of possible invasion, that the worst enemy that the colony had was that House. There was no real desire for retrenchment there, and whatever pledges the members had made 011 the hustings they had forgotten all about. The way the Estimates were being passed through was a disgrace. They were passing an amount of money which the colony could not afford, and which it would regret. Mr. Goldie pointed out that all the gaolers in the centres of population had actually had their salaries increased this year. He tried to wipe out the weather office, Commissioner Gudgeon, to reduce Captain Hume, excise the long - service police pay, and effect other pruning, but it was simply jeered at. Mr. R. Thompson tried to reduce the Official Assignees to £100 each, but failed. The Estimates for .Justice and Defence slipped through so easily in the sleepy state of the House, combined with the admirable tact with which the Defence Minister handled the Committee, that the Minister of Lands adroitly slipped into the chair at the committee table, when vacated by his colleague, and ran through his departmental estimates in 110 time. On ordinary occasions, the votes for the Stock Department and the Mining Department alone would have absorbed a whole afternoon between them, but the House wanted to go to bed, and through they went. Close 011 four o'clock in the morning lion, members filed out of the House into the cold, foggy air and desolate streets, having given five hours to a party fight, and three hours to the consideration of the distribution of a quarter of a million of money, deeply conscious of their self-sacrifice and devotion, and thanking heaven that they had done their duty to their country. On the House going into Committee of Supply to-night the retrenchment party, feeling that they had not the slightest hope of carrying any reductions, abstained from moving reductions as being simply a waste of time. The word was passed round early in the evening that the Government contemplated pushing the whole of the Estimates through before the House rose. The committee started with the postal telegraph services, and the discussion was somewhat amusing. Hon. members stood up for the officers resident in their respective districts. It was a cruel thing to reduce them, the proper officers to reduce being "the other fellows," while these men were the most hard-worked, efficient, and oldest officers in the service. The Premier, in speaking 011 the question, admitted the anomalies in the service, and said he was endeavouring to eliminate thfctn. There was no doubt there were a large number of officers who were overpaid. Mr. Bruce drew attention to the fact that two postal officers had been reduced in Sydenham, while two had had their salaries increased in the district of the hon. member for Waitemata. He wished that fact brought under the notice of their economical friends from Auckland. The Premier, amid laughter advised the for ltfuigitikei to leave that matter to the member for Sydenham. A littleskirmish took place between Mr. R. Thompson and Mr. Ward out of a remark about mail servfees by the latter. Mr. Thompson said the hon. member for Awarua had " the 'Frisco Service on the brain." Mr. Ward retorted that ho had the 'Frisco Service not on the brain, but at his fingers' ends, and he hoped to see it wiped out yet. In the Customs and Marine Department a long discussion ensued as to Captain Fairchild's salary, £500 a year, and the disposal of the Hinemoa. Mr. Mills said the salary of the captains of the Union steamers of the same size was £25 a month. The Premier warmly eulogised the captain's services. Ultimately £150 was, on division, taken off the working expenses of the Stella, the decision being in the nature of an instruction of the House to take it off the salaries of the officers. Mr. Mills said the Stella and Hinemoa were both unsuitable for their work, but he agreed in the Government having boats of their own. The reduction of £150 made at midnight was the first effected afte>- sitting four and ahalf hours on the Estimates.