THE The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, SEPT. 27, 1880.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 27 September 1880, Page 2

THE The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, SEPT. 27, 1880.

Mb Mastebs ia to be complimented - upon his promptness in meeting his constituents so soon after returning from his legislative duties at "Welling" ton. It could hardly be expected that Mr Masters, or indeed any other re« , preservative, vrould be able to tell us anything new concerning the work of the past session, tho wires having kept the people fully informed of the whole I business of the sitting. But from the fact that he is understood to have poss sessed the ear of the Goveremenfc, and enjoyed the fullest Ministerial confidence, some ex-ra interest naturally attaches to his deliverance. We are indebted to the Grey Star for the following report of Mr Maßtera* speech : — " He came before his constituents with very mixed feeling. The account he had to give was rather the reverse to pleasant. He, in connection with many other members, had gone to "Wellington expecting and hoping for much, but had returned sadly disap* pointed. He had hoped that much would have been done for this district ; he had gone provided with all necessary dceuments and data for the information of the Government, bufc the result, he regretted to say, was little or nothing. This barren result was owing to the state of the finances of the Colony, which they all knew were in a deplorable state. After Major Atkinson had made his Statement, many attempts were made by the Opposition to upset his figures and show that the finances were not in the cons dition stated by the Treasurer, but all these trials had only tended to prove more clearly that the figures were correct. The gloomy aspect drawn by the Treasurer at last session had been amply born of facts, which showed an anuual deficit of £900,000. The Public Works Fund was equally unsatisfactory, and clearly showed that little or no new works could be undertaken. He had not been many days at "Wellington ere finding out that the session would be a long, barren, and unsatisfactory one. Never before in this Colony had a Government to grapple with such difficulties as the Ministry bad to face during last session. When the Public Works Policy, first inaugurated by Sir Julius Yogel, was in full swing a very pleasant duty devolved on the Ministry. Everybody was doing well and the country was prosperous. Sir Julius Vog-jl held that tbo Civil Service should share in the general prosperity, and accordingly salaries were increased. A.fc the pres* I ent the very opposite was being done, it being found absolutely necessary to nmke immediate and large reductions When the present Government came into office no one knew how the fin* ances e*"ood, hut now everything was made clear, and although tho position was fir from gfitisfacrory, yet he be* lieved thpy hnd seen the worst. To tide over thf difficulty he hnd to agree to raanr rrductions which his own individual feelings retailed at. As shown ing the gpneral feeling that prevailed regnrd'ng reductions, ho might sfatp that at a mppting of the Government supporfprs nnd ah one of the Op»>osi* fcion, rpsolufiona almost similar wero ii greed to, and that determination wns to make great reductions, The Governrneut Brat proposed a reduction of five per p^nt., Ipaving it; to the Ministry to say where other reductions could be made by reducing the number of Civil servants. The House, however, considered Jjlb would not suffice, as half j the year would he over ere any reduction could take place. There was considerable (liffi-rencH of opinion as to the mode. A sliding ho.ilq was proposed that, only salaries of £200 should be touched. It was, however, finally decided that all should submit to a 10 per cent, reduc.iion,Gov?rnmfint pointing out I bat lln salaries under £200 anip-nntpd to £GOO,OOO. The question of subsidies was one tlmt bad received great enre and consideration at his hand:*, as well 113 at hia colleague's, liarly in tho Becsicn it was promised

that a bill would be introduced putting local finances in a better position, for it was evident subsidies could not be maintained. This withdrawal the Opposition strove to make appear as a repudiation of the Financial Arrangements Act, 1876. but it was not so, for in 1877 the Grey Government introduced an Amending Act, making the subs'dy an annual allowance, terminable at any time, and dependent upon Parliament for every successive year.