RETRENCHMENT AND CHEESEPARING.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 8 March 1880, Page 2

RETRENCHMENT AND CHEESEPARING.

" ■♦ The Government are applying them* selves earnestly to the unpleasant but highly necessary work of departmental retrenchment. This has frequently been talked of before, but no conscientious attempt bas been made for many years to carry it out. The emergencies of tbe co'ony are now so great, however, that there is no alternative from increasing the taxation, already amounting to a serious burden upon tbe people, except a wholesale reduction of tbe expenditure. The Ministers pledged themselves last session to do their utmost to enconomise, but pointed out tbat it would take some little time for them to ascertain in what directions enconomy was possible; We are informed that a plan is now nnder consideration for diminishing the cost of the departments under the control of the Postmaster General by combining, where-* ever possible, post and telegraph offices. Ifc has been already decided to do tbis at Wesport, Reefton and Hokitika, whereby a considerable saving will be effected, and ifc is intended at the outside with some disatvantages to offices effeoted by them. The fact is tbe public will have to make up their mind to bear the inconveniences of a reduced establishment, just as a private person has to do when he has exceeded his income, and is compelled to make both ends meet. We can only get out of a thing what there is in it, and if the revenue is nofc sufficient to cover the expenditure, we must cut down the ex« penditure to the limits of the revenue. The chief responsibility now resting upon the Ministers i 3 that of making the best possible arrangements in their several departments, so that the efficiency of the publio service may not be unnecessarily impaired by necessary economy.-v Timaru Herald.