COST OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.

Southland Times, Issue 1984, 18 September 1874, Page 2

COST OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT.

(to thb editob op the times.) Sib, — It may be interesting to some of your readers — who happened to hear Mr Jaggers, at Mr Cuthbertson's meeting, make a statement that Provincial institutions cost only about Is per head of the population of the Colony — to learn that other statisticians, possibly as able a 9 Himself, calculate the coat at a very different figure, as the following extract, which appeared in a late number of the Otago G-uardiau, will show :— " The following figures referring to provincialism may be of interest at the present time, when the question of unification is once more occupying a leading place in public attention. There are nine provinces in New Zealand, the aggregate annual income of w'lich, exclusive of contributions to the Consolidated Revenue, is a little over £1,300,000. Of this amount nearly 40 per cent., or £400,000, is absorbed yearly in administration. There are about 240 Provincial Councillors in receipt of honorarium, and nearly 800 provincially paid officials. New Zealand, with a population of about 330,000, and a total revenue of £2,785 000, has something like 350 legislators ; wlvle Victoria, with a population of 700,000, and a revenue of £4,152,000, has but 136 legislators. These are rather startling figures, but they are mainly incontrovertible. It will therefore bo seen that Provincialism annually cost 9 the country £1 5i per head of the entire population of the Colony." Perhaps Mr Jaggers will in future take more trouble to investigate the subjects he professes to enlighten his fellow-colonists upon, than he apparently did when he made the statement referred to, which statement will appear to the most ignorant to be far from being founded upon facts. — I am, &c, Lttoctlent. Invercargill, 17th Sept., 1874.