SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9118, 18 May 1891, Page 5

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

POLITIOAL AND GENERAL.

Ministers are now gathering again at WelliDgton in order to prepare for the meeting of Parliament, which has been authori-

tatively set down for June 11. It bas been I allowed to transpire that a change in the incidence of taxation will be proposed, the scheme including a tax on the unimproved value of land, with exemption up to £500, and an income tax o£ Gd in the pound on all incomes exceeding £300 per annum. This is contingent upon the total or partial abolition of the property tax. The large surplus, Which turned out to be £148,000, inherited from Sir Harry Atkinson, the windfalls resulting from the conversion operations, and the returning confidence in business circles, no doubt make the time appear peculiarly suitable in the eyes of tho Government for experiments in taxation. But there are already signs that the Ministerial proposals have lost the momentum furnished by the general elections, and the matter will be warmly debated. The feeling throughout the country, which is shared even by newspapers giving the Government support, is that retrenchment in the civil service has been carried too far, and that changes of such a radical nature as have been carried into effect should first have been considered as part of a well-defined scheme of reductions. The Government have under consideration a Civil Service Reform Bill, which is being prepared with the assistance of an advisory board consisting of five heads of departments, and it will be one of the first measures introduced nest session.

The Royal Commission which is investigating the affairs of the Publio Trust Office have made an interim report, which contained Bomewhat sensational information. It was stated that there was no efficient check upon the department, that its system of book-keeping was defective, and that Officers had been in the habit of purchasing effects of deceased persons whose affairs were being administered. It has since transpired, however, that the matter had been greatly exaggerated. The officers apparently had been guilty of small wdiscretions in becoming the purchasers of articles submitted to auction, but the large investments o£ the office are in the hands of a board which includes the Surveyor-general, the Property Tax Commissioner, and the Colonial Treasurer. It is now fel); that the large profit returned by this department (£IB,OOO was appropriated from it last year) shonW be partially set apart as a guarantee fund, similar to that in the Land Transfer and Life Insurance departments, and that the Trust Office should be relieved of certain duties foreign to its proper business. The returns of the census, taken on April 5, are not yet complete, but approximate results for the principal centres have been . published. These disclose a practical falling off in the population of all the W large towns except Wellington. The population of Dunedin and suburbs has increased in five years by 58, Cbristchurchand suburbs by 667, Wellington by 5010, and Auckland and the county in which it is situated by 7156. Dunedin, Ohristchnrcb, and Auckland proper have all sustained a decrease. On the other hand, the population of the smaller inland towns has grown generally above the normal rate of increase, which in this colony is 2'B per cent, a year. The immigration and emigration returns for the month of April show a loss to the colony of 611 persons. Owing to various causes, there has been great fluctuation among the working classes of the population, and of these the census returns from Australia show that Victoria has gained the present advantage.

The Whitaker-Hutchison libel case was before the Court of Appeal on the 13th inst. Its latest phase was the hearing of an appeal from the decision o£ .Chief Justice Prendergast refusing to strike out a paragraph in the defence charging Sir H. Atkinson and Mr Mitohelson, members of the late Ministry, with being indebted to the Bank of New Zealand, and with having, on that account, confederated and collusively acted with the plaintiff in assisting the bank when in financial difficulties. The appeal was dismissed. The matter of Judge Edwards' appointment has also been taken to the Appeal Court, where the hearing begins to-day. The form which it has assumed is a motion by the Attorney-general calling upon Judge Edwards to show ty what warrant he exercises the functions of a judge, no salary having been determined and set apart for him. The defence filed sets forth the history of the appointment, and relies npon that and the Governor's commission. The Government have arranged for a full report of the case for public record purposes, bo that within probably the next fortnight the complete bearing of this unique case will be open to examination. Mr Seddon, Minister for Public Works, has expressed himself somewhat strongly at Auckland regarding the administration of the railways by the commissioners. It ought to be remembered, however, that vigour of expression is characteristic of the members of the present- Government. Mr Seddon.. replying to Mr Vaile, who has been for some years urging the adoption of a modification of the Hungarian zone system, asserted that the railway plant was losing its Talue, and would continue to do so, and that the commisßioners had unnecessarily sent Home for four new boilers which could hare been made in the colony. Mr Seodon pointed out that the commissioners had absolute control, so he could not interfere, and the commissioners also claimed that the railways now produced 3 per cent, instead of 2 per cent, as when under Government control. The commissioners, in reply to Mr Seddon's strictures, assert that no depreciation to the plant is going on, and that the new boilers were urgently required, and could not have.been made in the colony in time to meet the growing traffic. Moreover, that they were unable to obtain from - the Government and- Parliament the mon to erect manufacturing works enabling them to keep pace with the growth of the traffic. So the matter stands at present.

The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce has been concerning itself during the month with two matters most pregnant with interest to Otago —the suggested imposition of a harbour rate, and the consequent relief of the shipping from an equivalent burden; and the further prosecution of the Otago Central railway. A motion declaratory of the desirability of substituting a rate upon the district of which the port of Otago is the ontlet was carried unanimously at a meeting of the chamber on May 3. # But the full import of the proposal has yet to be publicly realised, and it must be further discussed before so important a step is taken. About the prosecution of the Otago Central railway there was a consensus of opinion. It was shown, a3 it has been already shown almost ad, nauieam, that the expenditure already incurred can result in no advantage. The line has been opened to Middlemarch, but that is merely on the further side of Mr Pyke's " garden wall." If he garden of central Otago is to be tapped the line must at least be carried to Eweburn. A large portion of the money allocated for this specific purpose has not been spent upon the line.. This sum amounts to £200,000, and to this the line is rightfully entitled, the money having been specifically B et apart for it. As it is, toe line pierces a belt of rugged country, and stops at Hiddlemarcb, which is practically nowhere. There eeems more hope than usual that the Otago members will present an united front on this matter next session, for even those originally opposed to the construction of the line recognise that;there oannot possibly be any return on the money already spent unless tha Una bo carried further into tbe agricultural find raining territory.

A dispute has occurred between the contractors for the Midland railway and tho Minister for Public Works. It arises over a proposed deviation at Lake Brunner, and tho liberty of the company to let construction contracts privately. The Minister holds that the Government must maintain a check upon

the cost because of the clause empowering the colony to purchase the line, and that the grades in the deviation asked for are unsuitable. The Minister's objections havo evoked vigorous remonstrances from the company's engineer and the Midland Hailway League at Christchmch.

Tho Auckland boot strike is in statn quo, but there are indications that the.endurance of the employers is greater than that of the men, notwithstandiug that the latter are being supported full wagc3 rates by their fellows in other parts of the colony. The bootmakers working under tho agreement arrived at in Wellington in February are contributing upwards of 3s in the £ out of their earnings; and tho rest of the employers in tho colony are also averse to the section of the Aucklan3 employers who are holding out. Their action has created alarm in Auckland lest it may lead to a diversion of the bootmaking trade, in which Auckland had attained some prominence, to the south and Sydney, which latter city commands the trade of the South Sea Islands; but, so far, the masters have proved obdurate, and are carrying on with non-union .labour, although not to their accustomed extent. The most important matter involved is the principle of joint agreement as to prices, which was^j laid down- at the J Wellington conference'jW agreed to by ail ! the men and all the employers in the colony but the 11 recalcitrant Auckland firms.

The obituary for the month includes Mr W. N. Blair, Engineer-in-cbief foi the colony, who rtidd at Wellington. The body was brought to Dunedin for interment. The public loss is great, as Mr Blair had steadily risen in his profession to the high position of Engineer-in-chief, while a large circle of private friends deplore his untimely death. Dunedin has sustained a loss by the death or Mr James Wilkie, who was wellknown and universally esteemed. • He died at the early age of 42, from pneumonia. Mr Wilkie was an ex-pupil of the local High School, and particularly devoted himself to acclimatisation matters.