THE EVENING MAIL. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 289, 27 March 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1877.

YWifo (Shins*. an<»» tU-of »< «nfe falfins "f" 1 " « thnuu'lit may |> entitle* t'.uit- whi 'h nt»fcr» (hotKMit!* f.ir'ik/*

Tkr extravagance ol the present Ministry i* pvovvrbial, and no amount of public comment .sterns* sutiUnent to bring the gentlemen at present entrusted with the aduuulstration—mahulmtuistration might be a more correct word to use—of the affairs of the Colony to a sense of the necessity of ettrtatling the expenditure, and bringing it within the reaeh of the revenue. It is* true that they have in one or two instance?* endeavoured, according to tb;ir turn lights, to effect reductions. Hnt what ha* been the result f Why, they have simply made a saving in one item in order b> have m<>re money to throw away upon others. They have only ' been practising that little- game. " Ro\*King l*tr.-vt.v. in order to pay Rxtf.."' There U throughout a want of sincerity in their profuse professions of economy. Tiiat they are well-intentioned we will not stop to > (.action ; hut we must certainly say they have a very strange way of carrying out their gnt.-d intentions. One »»f the latest instant?*:!* of the reckless extravagance—we can designate it l»y no other name—of the 31iuistry is* afforded by its action in regard to the Kutnara Water-race Company. That rvektes* extravagance has been mdntged iu is clearly demonstrated by the following extract from the Wellington Ai-ij"*, a pap«?r which has hitherto accorded a fair amount of support to the present Administration. Our contemporary says :—•" Wostland papers state that the shareholders in the Kutnara Water-race Company are jnbilant because the General Government lias bought the race at the handsome sum of £BOOO cash—-

the price fixed by the shareholders themselves. The total amount spent on the Company on the race was £2,500, so they have cleared about £5,500 by the investment." Now, there cannot be a great amount of objection to the Government constructinga water race for the benefit of the miners at Kuinara, though it may be urged that the expenditure in connection therewith is likely to far exceed the amount of public good which will be derived from it when completed. That the completion of the work will tend to open up the Kumara Goldtields there cannot be a doubt, and on that ground it becomes one of Coloniaj importance. Anything which has a tendency to devclope the resources of any portion of the Colony must of necessity be of general public interest. Still, the question naturally arises, Are we not paying too dearly for our whistle'J According to the manner in which the Government seem to be proceeding, we think we are. It maybe tmc, as the Argus says, that " the acquisition of this race is necessary to enable the Government to jr»periy cam- on the expensive "Waimea race." Granted that it is absolutely n?cf!*jary that the property in question should be acquired by the Government, what carl hi}* reason can be adduced for paying more than three times its value in order to obtain it. The whole thing is only another example of the very admirable and economic manner in which the General Government conducts the affairs of the country ; and shows pretty cloatly the way the money g"C3. The present Ministry seems t<> be determine! to p.-»y m> heel to tlie stern facts almost »!aily brought und.r its notice. Our revenue is falling far below the estimate given at th:* last session by the Colonial Treasurer, and yet no attempt seems to be made to meet the deficiency by an equivalent curtailment of our expenditure. The loans obtained by the Colon}' are iu;.r!y expended, and we shall shortly be called up..:i to provide the necessary inttrt.st. without having the benefit of a large governmental expenditure amongst the people ; and yet the present Administration take no heed for the future. So long as thiy lave money at their command wherewith to purchase su]>i>ort and maintain themseUvs in power they are content to pursue the policy of extravagance which has obtained in the Colony for some veal's. They have no care for the future, and the Colony may drift into bankruptcy without their making more tlau a puny attempt at warding oil' such a catastrophe: llow long shall this state of atF.iir.s be allowed to exist I Is there n.» nnti aui di-j-i the eighty wlto meet yearly within the walls of the House of Kepresentativts capable and willing of bringing our expenditure within our means :' Wo think there is. The demauds of the public for retrenchment are becoming h-ud and earnest, and it would be strange indeed if those demands found no echo amongst our members. We are very much mistaken if an early alteration in the mode of conducting the public business is not made ; indeed, the necessity for such a step is imperative. Our finances are getting into an impaired state, and it is no m-:e endeavouring to close our eyes to the unpleasant, fact. Careful and prudent management is necessary to enable the Colony to tide over the difficulties before her. That she will succeed in doing so we have little fear : but the task of bringing the Colony safely out of her impending difficulties will need to be entrusted to other hands than those which at present guide the destinies of New Zealand.