MINISTERIAL RETRENCHMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7927, 19 July 1887, Page 4

MINISTERIAL RETRENCHMENT.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sin, —Noticing a special telegram in your Saturday's issue headed "How retrenchment is effected," and feeling confident that your correspondent must have been misinformed, I wired for particulars, and have received the enclosed telegrams, which you are at liberty to publish. Whatever sins the Government may have to answer for, I am not disposed to allow statements contrary to facts made against it to remain uucontradicted.—l am, &c., William H. Reynolds.

Wellington, July 17. Hon. Mr Reynolds, Ounedin. The letter you refer to is a tissue of misrepresentations. The M'Lean period with which comparison is made shows a suppression of a number of salaries, and excludes enormous sub-departments scattered over the North Island doing the work now centred in Wellington; Since the present Ministry came into office there is £2000 medical assistance and charitable aid, formerly on annual appropriations, now charged to civil list. Four clerks and interpreters iv the head office are being trained and about to be attached to the commissioner under the vote taken for the Native Land Administra* tion Act, leaving the office with less assistance than for a long time. Though there is at present a rush of Native Land Court business, the total expenditure of the civil list and appropriation combined is much less than in previous years. The Fmauci.sl Statement showed, without taking into account Fox's vote, that the appropriation was £3000 les3 than the previous year. I shall send you later the quarter's expenditure, showing we have kept well within the vote. In fact I have ascertained that the expenditure on the civil list for Native and Land Court appropriation will be actually £6000 less than the expenditure last year on the same purpose through the changes made in getting rid of useless and highlypaid officers and reducing travelling expenses, &c. The principal reason given by us for getting rid of the officer who supplied the information was that he was comparatively useless. I have always compared favourably in Native expenditure, including civil list, with that of predecessors. All this is capable of verification, and you can make fullest use.—J. Ballance.

Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Dunediß. The following returns have been furnished, showing the appropriation for the following period of the civil list for the Native department:—Native Land Court (exclusive of Fox vote, £2000) 1883-4, £30,008; 18S6-7, £27,830; 1887-8, £24,828. The Treasury return of last quarter's expenditure is £5312,0r at the rate of £21,248. YVith the changes now going on by way of reduction, the total for the year will not exceed £20,0C0. The bulk of this expenditure is for laud courts, which is revenue-producing aud cannot be materially reduced below preseut amount, about £12,000. The expenditure on laud courts last year was nearly £20,000. A return furnished of European officers in the Native department, Ist July 1869, shows 34, costiug £8972; the present number of officers corresponding is 15, costing £3110. The annual return of the expenditure for 1869-70, Nativo department, gives the total at £33,299, and of this amount only £6188 was for Native Land Courts. The courts in the two years ending March last put through 3,500,000 acres. " Hansard," vol. Jv. page 490, gives Mr Bryce as asking :—" Mr Bryce pointed out that last year £2000 had been transferred from the civil list to this class, but this year there was no provision made for that on the Estimates. Had the item gone back to tho civil list ?" "Mr Balianre replied that in consequence of the savings which had beeu made in tho civil list last year it was now made to bear the sum of £2000 for medical officers, &c." This shows how savings on the civil list have been used by transfer from appropriations. As a fact the savings in ativß dePartment *is year will be equal to ±8000 on last year at least. The extra clerks were engaged by the day for extra sessional work and tho usual arrears in consequence of the session, and have almost finished.—J. Ballancb.

FOOTBALL. TO THE EDITOI?,

Sir,—Referring to Messrs Ashton and Moore's letter which appeared in your issue of this morning intimating that they would present a cup to the captaii> of the Zingari-Richmond team, nllow me to state that I beg to decline the, presentation, as I consider that there is a tinge of professionalism about it which in the interests or football should be systematically discouraged. I am, &c,

H. TfiESEDEK, Captain Zingari-Richmond F.C. Dimedin, July 18.

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