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The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1886. RETRENCHMENT.

The Lyttelton limes says “ Mr Peacock wanted to add to the expenses of the public service by increasing the number of letter-carriers at Ponsonby ; Mr O’Callaghan by equalising the pay of certain public servants; and the South Canterbury members, headed by Mr Rolleston, by establishing quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court at Timaru and Oamaru.” We find also caucuses of Otago members, and Auckland members and members of other districts being held for the purpose of extracting more money from the Government for their districts, A sbucbss of Otago members has been held, and they resolved to force the Government to increase the vote for the construction of the Otago Central line from £200,000 to £500,000. The Auckland members are equally indignant because they cannot have more money voted for their district, and it is said that the very people who cut down the Estimates by half a million last year, ere as clamorous as others this year because of tbo modest proposals of the Government. During the past recess they have been threatening the Government with “ death and daggers ” if they attempted any large public expenditure ; now, when very reasonable proposals are submitted to them, they are not satisfied because they cannot get enough money for their own districts. What is the usa of preaching economy in the face of these facts ? Is it not pure humbug ? When Major Atkinson was in office every possible influence was brought to boar on him to get him to reduce public expenditure, but he treated all such attempts as no-confidence motions, and declined to submit to a penny redaction. The stonewalling of Mr Turnbull and others to reduce Major Atkinson’s Estimates is fresh in the memories of readers of political intelligence still, but not one penny wool! be take off. Now that he is out of power, and he wants to regain it, he has, with most extraordinary foresight, discovered that it is possibU to make considerable reductions, and he is most desirous of having it done. Then, there is Mr Turnbull who stone-walled the gallant Major’s Estimates, ready now to borrow £5.000,000, and completely oblivious of the necessity for retrenchment. Here again wo find Mr Rolleston ready to increase public expenditure by getting a quarterly sit ting of the Supreme Court at Timaru. According to him there was no'hing to save us from destruction but retreneb-

ment, yet this is the way he would retrench. He never spoke of economy or retrenchment when he possessed the power to economise. It is all very well to go screaming about economy ; it sounds well, and it is bound to secure sympathy. But another thing is to practise it, and that is exactly what these people are not disposed to do. In our opinion this cry of retrenchment and economy is arrant claptrap, and the very people who make the most noise about it know that it is nothing more. Successive Governments have ell promised to retrench, but not one of them have attempted it, and the reason is because the people will not have it, A few years ago it wai decided to lessen the number of policemen in Timaru, and to let Pleasant Point do without a policeman altogether. There was suoli a cry raised that the policeman at Pleasant point was reinstated at once, and the police force of Timaru strengthened. That is exactly the way with evrry department of the service, and consequently it is next to impossible, to retrench. When in 1880 the pay of the Civil Service was reduced by 10 per cent, what was the result? Simply that Mr Saunders who suggested it never got elected to Parliament afterwards, and that Mr S. P. Andrews, the working man’s candidate, has been similarly doomed to private life because be voted for it. It is possible that reductions could be made, but the sum would be so insignificant that its effect would not be felt. It would be as a drop of water in the sea, and consequently we think that it would be better for our representatives in Parliament to set about devising some practical schemes for the good of the country, than try to gain popularity by nonsensical cries of this kind.

THE HONOR OF KNIGHTHOOD, It is fashionable to congratulate (he Premier on having the honor of Knighthood conferred upon him. Major Atkinson congratulated him, Mr Macandrew did the same, and a>l the newspapers in the Colony are vicing with each other as to which shall say the nicest thing about him. So as not to be odd wo beg to congratulate the Premier most heartily, and to add that we do not at all envy him his laurels ; but at the same time we do not think it out of place to ask, has he earned them I The fact that he has raised himself by his own industry and ability gives him no claim to such recognition. The only thing that could entitle him to such honors is public service. He has been only about two years Premier, and during that time he has done jjgthing more noticeable than to change his political creed to such an extent that no one knows now what he believes in, unless it is that he believes in sticking to office. He was Attorney-General in Sir George Grey’s Ministry for a year or two, but no sooner did ho find the ministerial barque in troubled waters than he deserted. He left Sir George Grey to pull through as well as he could, and went down to Dunedin to mine his own business. We do not think that to desert his colleagues at that time gives him any claim to the honor heaped upon him, but it is better to bo born lucky than rich. He has received a title, and it may certainly be called “ unearned increment, ” politically speaking. We admire the Premier ; he is not unworthy of the title conferred upon him, and we feel sure he will do honor to it, but he his not earned it. Major Atkinson lias earned it, and ought to have received it iong ago, and it is certainly unjust to him that he has been left in the shade.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. In the batch of Parliamentary papers to hand we find our familiar friend, the ‘‘Municipal Corporations Bill.” Tin's Bill has now been before the House for three or four years, and subjected to alterations and amendments year after year. Last year it proposed to constitute Temuka and Qeraldine boroughs, but this has been all knocked on the head. A list of the Town Districts to be constituted Boroughs was given in a schedule to the Bill of last year, and amongst them were Temuka and Geraldine, but that has been carefully omitted from this year’s Bill, which excludes any (own which has not an annual income of £250 from general rates alone. Temuka and Geraldine must therefore content themselves with remaining Town Districts, unless the residents of these towns bestir themselves and urge upon the legislature to include them. There are many advantages to be gained by being a Borough, and it is possible that if the people desire it our representative In Parliament may be able to do something in the matter.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TEML18860603.2.9

Bibliographic details

Temuka Leader, Issue 1514, 3 June 1886, Page 2

Word Count
1,222

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1886. RETRENCHMENT. Temuka Leader, Issue 1514, 3 June 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1886. RETRENCHMENT. Temuka Leader, Issue 1514, 3 June 1886, Page 2