The Waikato Times "OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA." TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 66, 1 October 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times "OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA." TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1872.

It is a common saying that a certain gent leman, whose name is not mentioned in polite society, can interpret the texts of the book upon wliieli the faithful base all their hopes and fears, to servo, his own ends. The 1; iv tfrvi'• t-.v .• 11r <V>lo-n?«.1 Trer>«nvpv<s fW irered at so-short au- interval niter one -another, go far to prove that a little ingenuity only is required to do the same thing with the finances of the colony. We have always been led to the belief that figures are stubborn tilings; our faith in the old adage has, however, been seriously shaken within the last few days : the figures written in our Treasury appear to be wonderfully doc'le ;; ml obedient to the will of tlie ministerial " Prestidigitators." The first manipulator makes a statement all coulnar ite rose, and finishes by telling the colony that the unprecedented event of having £10.000 to the good at the end of the financial year had taken place. The second commences his statement by telling us that his predecessor in place of having a surplus of £10,000 on the 30th June, the accounts actually shewed a deficit of £33.000; we speak in round numbers, as judging from the happystate of confusion that appears to exist in the Treasury Department. any sum under a considerable number of thousands is likely to be found at any moment hidden away in some forgot ten corner of a ledger ; it would be useless therefore in writing on the subject to be too precise. Let us see how, according to Mr i Gillies, the difference is made up. In the first place, j in his opinion, Mr Yogel has over-estimated the j amount recoverable from the Provinces by £5,300, and has takeu credit for £13.500 as recoverable from confiscated lands, whereas according to Treasurer the second that sum is a myth, as it is the intention of the present Government, as it was that of the last, to return the greater proportion of these lands to the natives from whom they have been taken. The next, item omitted is £2,311, interest due on temporary loans to 30th June ; this is a comparatively j small amount, but we venture to think not so small j that it should have been lost sight of. TVe now come I to the good round sum of £17,555 in respect of saving ! on Civil List-, this is followed by a further sum of i

| X' 5,000 additional liabilities not included, the par- | ticulars of which the present Treasurer does not give, j Tnen comes £8,358, which appears ae a credit in the Consolidated Fund but not us a debit to Defence. J Trie above is truly a nice " Comedy of Errors." | There are others, but we omit to enumerato them from fear of taking away the breath of our readers, j It must give anj mairwho feels an interest in the future i vv.'iiare of the colony a particularly unpleasant feeling when he tinds that one of two Ministers to whom the financial affairs of the colony have or are entrusted, could so far forget himself as to wilfully misstate its financial position for the sake of gaining another move |on the political chess-board—for it really amounts to j wilful misstatement on the part of one Treasurer or i the other, unless the public accounts have been kept in such a maimer that neither is capable of understanding them. We would rather learn that the latter is the case, in,spite of the old. saying with its modicum of truth "that it is better to have an /f than an Fto deal with." It is, of course, impossible for us to form any opinion as to which of the statements, if either, is to be relied upon. There is evidently an unhappy uncertainty about the public accounts, otherwise they cou'd. not possibly admit of such very different interpretations; we are therefore reduced to the position of calculating probabilities. In the first place it was clearly to the advantage of the late Treasurer to paint the monetary picture in as bright colours as possible. He brought his statement for ward in the face of a want of confidence motion, no doubt, with the hope that the favourable light in which he viewed the finances of the colony would have the effect of commanding a sufficient number of votes to-retain his party in power. It is, therefore, fair to presume that he erred on the side of prosperity. On the other hand, the present Treasurer, in taking upon himself the responsibilities of office was interested in making affairs look as black as possible. In the first place, with the object of damaging the po ideal reputation .of the leading man of the opposit ion, and

in,the second, in or."a.* that in the erent of all not going well with him, as little blame as possible should be laid'at his door, and as much as possible at the door of his opponents. When we have heard Mr Vogel on:the subject we shall be able-to form some sort of opinion.on (lie matter; in the meantime we halt midway between the bright picture painted fey Mr Yogel and: the sombre one drawn by Mr Grillies. It is gratifying to • find that there are at any rate auilicicnt funds to carry on the public works commenced and contracted for, and for which the colony will become liable during the current year, also that the Ministry have appreciated' , the position in which t'ley stand'to the extent of acknowledging that thev arc only the administrators of a policy already entered upon, so that the fear which was felt by some that the Stafford Government would seriously curtail the expenditure on necessary public-works has proved to

be unfounded. The statement that the Government intend to cease granting aid'to Road Boards will not be accepted with very good grace by new districts. In them the burden of taxation to be borne in consequence would be small compared with the permanent advantages they would derive; in:faet, without the assistance of Government it is impossible, in this

district for instance, that works absolutely necessary to the welfare of the-settlers can be carried, out. In

older districts, where the money so obtained is being spent in what may be termed luxuries, the argument probably holds good, but that is very doubtful. The settlers themselves are the best judges of what they require, and as they have to contribute a sum in proportion to that given by the Government, it is fair to presume that the funds so obtained are honestly and judiciously expended. Mr Gillies' statement is apparently more easy of comprehension- than that of in- pivdecfcssoiv Ise has at least put his facts in such a manner as to convey a meaning to those uninitiated in the mysteries of Government account keeping. We cannot help feeling that the present is a most important epoch in the history of the colony, and with commensurate anxiety we await the reply of Mr Yogel to the accusations—we are justified in calling them such—of the Treasurer.