GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 5 July 1880, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

TVhiLington. July 1. The House met at j3 30 p.m. The Bank of Ne^ Z'-aland Act, 1861, Amendment Bill wfls read a third time *nd passed. ! Mr Fenton gave iotioe that he would move in Committee! of Supply that the expense of Hansard be dispensed with. Mr Reeves gave notice that in Corns mitte of Ways anil Means he would move for the imposition of a rate of one penny per pound oi wools, and 5s per ton on all imported <joal. Replying to Mr Murray. Major Afkingon said no more transactions than the late £5,000.000 loan 1 are pending under the Consolidation ofpock Act, or will be entered into .'.without this House having ■n opportunity of i reconsidering the matter. ( Mr Barron asked if the sole duty of the locomotive engin er was as stated by the Hoyal Commissjs in on Civil Service on page 5 of their repprt, to receive £600 a year to go into the bepmotive Bhop with an engine that has be||§ found to require repair and instruct the long experienced foreman what to do and if not what ad' ditional duties wer^fijaiiired to be performed by that offH^RT Mr Oliver replied tint at present it was highly inexpedient to discuss the (Jiril Service report in this way. An opportunity for doing so would be offered at the proper tjm,e. Beplying to Mr Andrews, Mr Hall said the Government 'would allow Ihe House to reduce the [various items on Class 1, Legislative, oothe Estimates and would not look upon >*eh reduction as » vote of want of confidiice. Beplying to Mr 3peg, Mr Hall said 40,000,000 telegraph farms had been imported into the £foJoDg since 1873, at a Uniform rate p [tfmthlffl , the lowest

tender in the Colony was 5s 6d. Replying to Mr Wright, Mr Oliver said that instructions had been given to the Public Works Department to use no more foreign timber for sleepers. The no confidence debate was resumed by Mr Delatour who supported the amendment. Its alluding to the local finance scheme he said the Treasurer had attempted an impossibility in finance, in his endeavor to make the local bodies independent of general finance. Tlip mere power to give localities a right to impose a double rate would nut effect that object, the only way to do it properly was to restore the functions this House had usurped. The Houset hen went into committee on Estimates class 5, Postmasters General and Commissioner of Telegraphs. Mr Fall explained that business of the Postal Department had very considerably increased. Th^y had during the year made a saving of £719 by amalgamation effected, and they had other amalgamations in contemplation which would effect another £1000 saving. Little say ing could be effected in the mail contracts this year as they ran to the end of the I prrsent year. When these contracts were terminated he hoped members would aid them in reducing the number and cost of these services. The Stella would perform the round of the Middle Island service quarterly when visiting th- lighthouses, in all they hnd been able to effect n saying of £14.000. The. salaries of those departments were not by any means high, and they did their work well and efficiently. He moved the vote, General Pout Office, £4000. Mr Bender Wood contended that it was necessary they should at the outset lay down the principle of reduction which should be applicable to the whole of the Estimates. If this were not done he believed that no saving would be mnde at all. What he would propose was a reduction of 20 per cent on all salaries of £600 n ypar and upwards. The General Post Office Secretary's salary was £600. Now that gentleman had no risk, it was i considerable salary punctually paid to one who had no risk whatever. They had all to face this depression, and the civil servant should be made to participate in the general depression. What he proposed was that on all salaries of £600 and upwards the reduction should be 20 per cent ; on salaries between £800 and £600, 15 per cent ; and between £180 and £300 10 per cent. Looking at the number of persons employed in this department he had no hesitation in saying there were too many, and that it would be found that there were some o f these persons who were mainly engaged waiting on the others. Fe would therefore propose the vote be reduced to £3500. Mr Wood said he would prepare these suggestions by a resolution, ' That in the posit : on of the Colony the Es« "timates as a whole should be largely reduced. He would suggest the aboli» tion of the office of Agents General ; that the honorarium of members of fiat House should be reduced 25 per cent ; and that of the Legislative C uncillors 50 per cent ; that Hansard should be abolished, that the number of Distiict Court Judges and Resident Magistrates be reduced ; that the salaries of the Chairmen of Select Committees be abolished, and that no addU tions to permanent amounts of salaries be voted •, that large reductions should tie made in the number of officers in the Civil Service by amalgamation and reorganisation ; that all telegraph and post offices not paying expenses be closed ; that the defence and volun» teer vote be reduced by £50,000. Mr J. B. Fisher spoke in favour of the reduction, There were very few men in the House in receipt of in» comes equal that paid to the civil servants. Mr Swanson said the Civil Servants were ruling the country, they might be Civil Servants, but they were most uncivil masters. Mr Montgomery was in favour of the proposal made by Mr Wood. Civil Servants were paid far too high, and out of all proportion to the incomes of those who had to bear the burden of the salaries. The debate was interrupted.