, 1872-10-09

trayed without loans and heavy sacrifices
how can there be any hope of a surplus to
spend on improvements 2 The means must
simply be derived from reductions in all
branches of the expense in cultivating es-
tates, SO as thereby to leave better profits
to the cultlvator and one of the chief
items is undoubtedly taxation. But we
cannot be blind to the fact that no reduc-
ton in this direction can possibly be effec-
ted without a decrease in the amount an
nually required to cover our public admin
lstration-expenses. In the expense for the
article of labour we cannot reasonably ex-
pect any decrease, except indeed it were
by more extensive application of steam
power ; but here again the means are want
ing. That the islands crop, one year,
chances to give the agriculturists a surplus
revenue, does not in any material degree
better the case, knowing, as we all do, that
tor the past %decennary the order of the day
has been deficiencies, executing ALWAYS a
few favored places anu, perhaps, If no
change for the better takes place, it will
be the anne for the coming decennary.
This, then, will be one of the most pres
sing duties on His Excellency. To
achieve that absolutely necessary decrease
in the annual amount of public expendi-
turr, the remoIelling and simplifying, if
but for u trial, of the various administrA-
tive branches, appear to be feasible enough,
and then first and foremost the Chief Adj
ministration, the costly Military, of dubi-
Gus utility, the Police and Judiciary De-
partment, Customs Department, and others
All of these branches have from time to
fID1n haoo thA c,hioot &c oOn,;lCro+;o,
and the inhabitants of these Islands had
been favored with several very promising
plans for the future adjustment of
these points, proceeding apparently from
the Home Government but they
have all, fortunately, been, more or less,
relinquished, and preference given to other
organizations, to which the greater part of
the population are decidedly and Justly
opposed. 1t is pretty generally admitted
that greater simplicity and ease, involving
less expense, may be obtained by suitable
notifications in the aforesaid respects.
We shall at present say nothing of the i'm
portant Labour-Q Question, but, we would
beg to call attention to the no less impor-
tant question Of School Reforms. We
shall neither gainsay, nor admit, the
correctness of Mr.. Sarauw's statement in
the Colonial Council in reply to Governor
BiIle's parting speech, by which the APP
pointment of q School Inspector is repre-
sented as such a vast step of improvement
in this direction. One thing is certain, at
least, viz: that no parsimony has been shewn
by the Council in the fixing of his salary.
But we would here beg leave to impress,
on the minds of all parties, that much re-
mains yet to be achieved in that repect, if
the Inspectorate is to be anything more
than a s%inecure and on the successful or
ganization Of this matter will depend, in a
great measure, the future position of this
Island.
These and many kindred questions must
find their settlement in the immediate fu-
ture but surely, no one expects that all
these several matters shall be dealt with and
brought to a close at once I've only look
for a sOunda and systematic orderin the treat
ment of these subjects. And first of all,
1T would seem urgently necessary to deal
with the Colonial Law and we beg, on
behalf of the Public of this Island, to sug-
gest that His Excellency, in view Of the
undue pressure under which the Council
laboured when the vote was taken on the
Administration Ordinance, will cause the
final emanation of this Ordinance to rest in