The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9195, 24 September 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1891. The Ballance Ministry when it went into power loudly proclaimed abroad its economical tendencies ; and when accused of unnecessarily dismissing or "cutting down the salaries of officers, the Ministers of the various departments fell back on the excuses that they were placed there by the people to reduce the expenses of the Civil Service, and they were accordingly only carrying out what they were pledged to do. The vigorous use of the pruningicnife met with the approval of the heavily burdened taxpayers, who began to hope that they had at last a government in office who, by bringing the expenditure down, •would reduce the heavy sums they had yearly to pay the State in taxes. The present Ministry, however, are no better in this respect than the previous ones ; in fact, according to the statement of Mr Richardson, on Wednesday,(we have now a more extravagant Government in office than we had for many years. He pointed out that the total increase in the Estimates this year over last was £107,500 on the consolidated fund, whilst on the Public Works Estimates, the Minister had used up all the available money remaining from previous loans. Many of the reductions, too, are delusive. In critically examining the Estimates, it is to be clearly seen that whilst trifling sums have been struck off here and there, the amounts which are supposed to be sayings, are used for the purpose of increasing the salaries of a few favorites in Wellington. This is particularly, noticeable in the Justice Department; but there are other Departments where great injustice has been done to some officers in order that others may be benefited. The House evidently is not composed of such element! as the electors expected when they sent the present members there to represent them. It was thought from the' views of the members when seeking the suffrages of the people that economy would have been the first and last thought, whereas it would seem that the members desire is to vote away several years' revenue during the first session. This was a common occurrence in the old Provincial Council days, but we should have thought that a Colonial Ministry would have been above such paltry subterfuges; and in order to please their supporters and to delude the public, have allowed sums to be voted for purposes which the Government have not the slightest intention of finding the money for-

The Juvenile Fancy Dress Ball in aid of the Fire Brigade funds will be held in the Alexandra Hsil this (Thursday) night. The children will dance from 7 to 10 o'clock, after which adults will take possession of the flour. The Band will be present. In view of the large number of tickets sold the ball ought to be an immense success. An accident, happily unattended with any serious result, occurred on the South Road, on Wednesday afternoon* It appears that a number of ladies and gentleman bad formed a tiding party, and were pro* coeding along the South Road, when, in tho vicinity of Mr W. Skinner's residence, a horseman who was not known to anyone in the party, dashed into them, and knocked a young lady off her horso. The man did not wait to see the consequence* of his act, or apologise, but rode straight on. The lady who waß thrown was badly shaken and bruised, but fortunately OBcaped without broken bones. The establishment of ft telephone exchange in town js talked about.