SUNDAY, JULY 6. REDUCING THE ESTIMATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 17

SUNDAY, JULY 6. REDUCING THE ESTIMATES.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs Goldie, Hobbs, Lawry, Mouk, Peacock, R. Thompson, T. Thompson, Withy, Harkness, Saunders, and Allen, waited on the Premier at his private residence on Saturday afternoon. Mr Monk introduced the business, showing the desirability of further retrenchment. He said the members of the deputation were satisfied the Estimates could be reduced by £50,000 without impairing the efficiency of the public service. The Premier replied at length. He stated that the Estimates had been prepared with a view to rigid economy, and he did not see how they could be reduoed without subjecting the public to special inconvenience. If, however, the public were willing to submit to such inconvenience! the Government would place itself iv the hands of the House. Messrs Goldie, Lawry, R. Thompson, T. Thompson, F. Hobbs, Peacock, Withy, Saunders, and Allen strongly urged the necessity for further retrenchment and reduced taxation. Sir John Hall was with tho Premier when the deputation waited on him, and made a suggestion to propose a reduction amounting to £50,000, taking item by item on the class Estimates as per schedule. The Premier intimated his willingness to accept this, but it did not appear to meet with general approval, experience teaching the futility of attempting to reduce expenditure in detail where opportunities exist to obstruct on account of looal political interest. The Premier eventually expressed anxiety to go through the Estimates with the deputation. Several present expressed dissatisfaction with the result of doing so. It was finally resolved to hold a meeting on Monday to decide on future action. In this connection I may state that I have had conversations with several Ministers, as well as with private mem* bers, in reference to the retrenchment question. It has been freely rumoured that Ministers will submit to take back the Estimates and cut them down if required by the House to do so. Indeed, the Post la3t night remarked with reference to Mr Mpnk's alleged intention to move the reduction of the Estimates by a lump sum of £50,000 :— " So much has been said since the Houbo met as to the necessity for further retrenchment that there is a strong probability that the motion will be carried. It is understood that in that case Ministers will agree to take back the Estimates and amend them accordingly, thongh no positive assurance to that effect has been given." This is not correct ; at least Ministers tell me they will not accept any Buch dictation. If the motion is carried as a mere instruction to the committee, then the Government will simply let it go, and will leave the committee of the whole to deal with it as they find feasible. The Government, not believing such reduction feasible without injury to the public service, will not undertake to support or carry out such a reduction, although they may indicate to the committee where it could be effected with the least damage. Among the items which could be reduced is the £40,000 for school buildings, but that can only be done at the expense of the education system and its manifest injury. If Mr Monk moves as he talks of to reduce the first item on the Estimates by £1, as an indication to the Government that expenditure must be cut down by £50,000, the Government will not accept the responsibility that they are now prepared to make substantially a confession that they asked for £50,000 too much, and they know that if the responsibility of apportioning the reduction is left to them it will be a mere trap, for any reduction thus made is sure to be cavilled at afterwardß. If an amendment to Supply is carried, directing the Government to take back the Estimates and reduce tbom by £50,000, that

would be treated as a vote of no-confidence. It was once rumoured that Mr Bryce would move such an amendment, and in that case Ministers I had determined to relinquish to him the responsibility of carrying it out. They would have advised the Governor to send for him and entrust him with the task. It turned out, however, that Mr Bryce had no such idea, and Mr Monk, who wishes to move in the same way toward a further retrenchment, has not the slightest desire to precipitate a crisis. It is most probable, therefore, that some friendly understanding will be come to in the matter. PROSPECTS OF A DISSOLUTION. An impression is gaining ground that hardly any business will be transacted this session, and if systematic obstruction is practised (as threatened in the case of the Supreme Court Bill) it may become impracticable to carry on. The feeling is deepening that the primage doty is doomed, and a bare majority at the most could only be counted on, and it is exceedingly doubtful whether they will not have melted away in a day or two, and I doubt very muoh whether it will be pressed by the Government.