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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1879-5-22, Page 3'vtAY 22, 1e10 TOEtS. .,.. SUNBURNT OF Provincial Expenditure COMPILED 814. G. E. JACKSON Liberal Cou,ervative nominee, and addressed ;o the 1':1ectors of the South Riding of Huron. C- 'ontermed front lest week, SCHOOLS. Total school pop, in 1876 502,240 The Gov'tnent expending $524,903 Tatnl school pop. in 1871 489,615 The Gov'ment expending 351,306 $173,597 How is this increase of $178,597 to he accounted for ? Outy $70,000 of this huge expenditure woo used fur t 'common sohool purposes, the balance ,eaten up by extra ofiioiale, a 13eard of gentlemen being employed in Toronto, at very high salaries, who have eutire control of the Edi„ ational system, ma- kiug rules and regulations unfitted for s, rural, population. A monopoly in the printing and publishing of school- books is given to some favored firms, whose prices are most exhorbitant; and, as if stilt farther to favor them, this Central Committee,. are allowed by the Government to make continual <:henges in the text boon. In old times a Fourth Book sold by eetail for 20 cents, but naw the price is from 45 to 50 cents. The other books have increased in proportion, while they are neither better bound nor do they contain improved matter. In fact, the whole school system has be- come more expensive ; but we ask, Have the schools improved ? are they snore efficient ? I do not wish to be understood as saying one word in disparagement of 'oar Public School teachers. There is no class of men more deserving of en• couragement and support than they. The qualifications required of them by law necessitates their being men of superior mental. ability. Their duties, when faithfully performed, are of in- valuable service to the future prosperity of the State, and I should be glad to see them planed iii a position of com- fort and respectability which they are no doubt entitled to. While the Civil Servants of the Goverumeut, appointed through political influence, are pam- pered and overpaid, the Public School Teeoilers, a far more deserving holy of people, are treated with indifference and neglect. SCHOOL INSPECTION. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Total No.. Schools in 1876 5,042 1871 4,566 Increase in number 476 Cost Pak). School Inspection in '76 ./ t< „ '71 Increase under Mr. Mowat $$140 per head, or a total cost of $407,- 284. 1,629 Prisoners and Patients were. maintained in the year of 1871, at a cost of $171,423, or $103 per head, showing under this eo-palled Retornh management, a direct loss' to the Prov ince of one hundred aucl nine thousand and seventy-six dollars ($100,0761? Why should this be so ? Tho omit of food and clothing has not inoreased. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.. In the year 1874, the last year the Local Government had control of this Department, they spent $184,640, as- sisting 25.444 iu aiigrante. while in 1871 the cost was only $29,712, bnt 25,842 immigrants were assisted. This shows a five fold increase. How can this be explained ? In this NI ay : Mr. Mowat divided over fifty thousand dol- lars a year amongst some lhalf•dozen political friends whom he had appoint- ed as immigration agents in the old oouutry; INCE , A.SEp COS'1' 01? OFFICES. Mr. Mowat says the reason the ex.. pease of his office has increased, was that "he had to write so many more letters and fill up so mauy more quires of paper with writing." But if Mr. Mowat has lead so much more to do, why is it that he and the other members of his Administration are ab - tient from their duties more than half the year, attending to their private busineae, pleading cases in the law courts for all who will employ them. or stumping the country making political speeches -..while their work is left to be performed by subordinates? But the labors in aunnection with their offices have not increased; on the contrary, they have diminished in many inetauc- es, while the cost is greater. CROWN LANDS,. No acres sold in 1877, under Mr. Alowat Receipts in 1877...... Expenses `° No acres sold in 1871, under J.Sandfield Receipts in 1871 Expenses " 46,671 $628,712 $211,132 92,272 5869,585 5193,152 Increase in cost under Sir. Afowat....547,986 So that while the labor of this Depart- ment has decreased one-half, the ex- penses have increased by forty-seveu thousand, nine hundred and eighty•six dollars. PUBLIC WORKS. Works superintended in 1877 to the amt. of Salaries paid in 1877, under Mr. Mowat Works superintended in 1871 to the amt. of Salaries paid iu 1871 under J. ,Sandfield $318,827 $16,702 405,733 10,3655 Increase under Mr. Mowat $6,337 ' How is this ? Greater Dost and less 525,936 workerformed ! 11,527 p ANNUAL EK.P.ENDITURE. 815,408 This shows an increase of over 125 per cent. in the cost of public school inspectiou uuder Mr. Mowat. H1vI{ SCHOOLS. No. High Schools in 1876 104 1871 101. Increase iu number 3 'Cost high School inep'n In 1870 " 1871 48,565 2,9,99 Increase ander Mr. Mowat 85,506 High School inspection nyder John Sa.ndfiutd cost $29.69 per school, while under Mr. Mowat it rose to $82.36 per school, an jsierease of two Atuul-red per 'cent. I ask the fair-minded elector, Is not this total increase of twenty -ono tlhons- ,and dollars in the cost of inspecting Iligh and Public Schools out of all proportion to the work performed ? EDUCATION DEPOSITORY. The Education Depository branch of The Publie Service, when Mr. Johu • ;Sandfield Macdonald was in power, was bitterly assailed by the present occupants of the Government benches :as an expensive and useless ,encum- brance. The object of this Institution le' was to supply the Schools with maps, • :apparatus and books at a reduced rate ; the Government coutributiug one-half the cost. This Insti.ttttion cost, in 1876, uuder Mr. Mowat 858d850 Cost in 1871, under J. Sandfield 39,914: Increased cost under Dir. Mowat 818,935 Iu 1876, the Government of Mr. Mow- at supplied books, &c., gratis, to the amount of $24,850 In 1871 the txovernment of ,John Sandfield supplied hooka, 4c., gratis, to the amount of 16,683 Difference 57,076 So that while nearly nineteeu thousand dollars 01 an iuoreased expenee is in• ,curled under Mr. Mowat, the public only receive the benefit of seven thou- .eaud, six•hundred dollars., ili'INTENANOE OF PUBLIC IN- aSTIT'I7TION$. 2.948 prisoners and patients were tnatiiriteineii in the Gove1'nnaettt Prisons Alla Asylums in the year of 1877,, at Mr. Mowat makes it his boast that he went into the Government to spend pnblio mouey. He has done it with a vengeance. The largest amount expended by John Sandfield catty in the year 1871, and amounted to ,$1,816,S08. But i4r, (Mowat spent 52,940.803 in 1873 Do " " 3,871,619 in 1874 Do " 3,604,524 in 1875 Do " " 8,140,627 in 1876 Do " " 2,117,413 in 1877 Total in fire yatrs $17,275,016 The ordinary revenue of the Prov ince amouute to about $2,400,000 per annum, made up of a subsidy and grant from Dominion Governmont, in- terest an special and invested funds, sal of Crown Lands and timber limits, and a number of smaller items. Mr. Mowatt, therefore, to meet this expen- diture, has-been obliged during these five years to sell part of the capital of the ecuntry upon which this revenue to a certain extent depends. To meet the deficiency in 1877 the public seen - ices have been pawned and notes dis- counted iu banks to the amount of $725,183. 00MPARATIVE EXPENDITURE. Mr. Mowat says his Govermmnt is only responsible for the current expen- diture of each year, and that he should not be charged with the amounts ex- pended on what he claims as capital account. Such sums aught to be de- ducted from the gross expenditure. Let us accept this tsethod of com- potation for the present : Gross amount expended by John auclfie.d in the year 1870.... 51,580,663 Menet Refunds,58o,313 " Cotonizati'�n Road 5o,ouo Public Works anid Buildings ... .. 407,731 538,047 Current expenditure, Wo......81,o12,010 Gross amount expended by John •8atndfield in 1871 -the last year ,of his Government,. • 81,810,866 Deduct 'Refunds 1;181,o-14 " Ottawa 1?ire Assist 35,noo " Cost of Election! 16,5o5 " Public Works ant 43uildinos '143n,63o Uololouis. Roach 55,400 .44 711,578 4u -treat expenditure, 1171 .51,1o5,2s9 Under Mr, Mowat'S Adminirirxtion the accounts stand as follows Total amount expended by 16. Mowat in the year 1877 53,112,9o4 Deduct Refunds 586,732 Colouiz. Roads 77,3oo' Paulie Works ,k and buildings 283,577 Aid to Railways 343;513 Surplus Dlatrib. 317,711 „ „ „ 1,206,148 Current expenditure 1877 $1,906,756 Totalanhount expended by Mr. ' Mowat in 1878 .. 2,9o2,388 Deduct Refunds 208,335 " Public Works and Buildings 298,6o7 Colouizatiiou R'ds 85,612 Aid to Railways 262,529 Surplus Distribut, lo8,171 934,255 Current expenditure 1878....51,968,133 How, then, de the accounts stand ? The ourreut expenditure for the year 1877 exceeds that of 1870 by the enor- mous sum of eight hundred and sixty- four thousand, one huudred and forty dollars ($864,140), and 1878 exceeds 1871 by the enormous sum of eight hundred and sixty-two thouaaud, eight hundred and forty-two dollars ($862,- 842), or a total loss under this so- called Reform Administration, in two years, of $1,726,985 I This question naturally arises in the minds of oommou sense people, What has the Government of Mr. Mowat done that the people should renew their confidence in his Administration ? In what way has he attempted to parry out his REFORM pledges ? It is evident from the foregoing tables that the economy promised the country has resulted in profligate ex- travagance, fur which the people have to pay at the rate of at least six hund- red thousand dollars a year for run- ning expenses alone. SALE OF TIMBER BERTHS. He sacrificed five thousand square miles of valuable timber berths in 1872, selling them for $119 a square mile, whereas, similar limits the year before, uuder a different Government, realized $240 a square mile, which chows a direct loss of six hundred thousand dollars. SALE OF MUNICIPAL LOAN DEBENTURES. He sacrificed one and a half million dollars of Municipal and Government debentures at a loss of two hundred and forty thousand dollars -sold to a one-horse company in the old country, of which the Treasurer, lir. Crocks, who conducted the sale, was at one time the Canadian solicitor. That Company has since become insolvent. CENT1ie.L PRISON. They increased the cost of building the Central Prison from $200,000, the amount contracted for, to $475,000, in consequence of taking it out of a re- sponsible contractor's hands and leav- iug it to be done by day's work. CROOKS ACT. Instead of reforming the laws, mak- ing them more liberal and just, they have enacted class legislation of the most obnoxious kind -reviving Tory legislation of the days of King Charles, which caused the rebellion uuder Crom- well, and was the means,,of exticgui>lh- ing a dynasty of kings. Oue of the chief charges in the impeachment of King Charles was, that he had grauted monopolies for the sale of spirits. Is no. the Crooks Liquor Act a monopoly I of the worst description, taking away one man's means of living and giving it to auother ? They have appointed Inspectors and Commissioners to carry out this law. In the County of IIuaou they cost $2,894 a year, while the license revenue collected for Proviuoial purposes amounts only to $2,271. Be- fore this Government came into power, this municipality collected the license fees in tae Conuty at 0. cost of $300 per annum. M11. BISHOP It is claimed by the friend, of Mr. Bishop, that as this is an agricultural County, we should only be represented by a fti,rhner, and therefore he is the only man who should be chosen. In the first place, Mr. Bishop has no more claim to belong to that class than I have ; he owns a farm -so do I ; he malice the principal part of his living outside of a farm -so do 1. It is only a few year's since Mr. Bishop, in company with Mr. D. L. Sills, carried nn storekeeoping iu the village of Bruoefiold, while a large portion of my' life was spent exclusively un a farm. But when a man is sent to Parlia- ment, he goes there not to judge turn- ips or dig drains, or to be a Professor in an A,;rioaltural College, bat to at- tend to the business of the country ; and as the greater part of the business of the Local Legislature consists in the expenditure, his capacity and abil- ity in that respect slhotttd be takou into account. Mr. l3ishop has been nearly seven. yearl.in Parliament. Can he shore an instance during that time when he trt- tempted to Stem the tide of ruirrous•ex- travagitnce of the Mowat Government ? Oe the contrary, his dame is to be found amongst those members who voted against every reduction. He de- terminedly upholds the unjustifiable increase in his own salary, claiming that $800 per session, or, as is the Daae this year, $1,600 per annum, is little enough for his valuable services. But it was never intention that mem- hers of Parliament should be hired enemata, workiug from mercenary mo- tives, but men of independent charm, - ter, placed by the will of the people in a high an honorable position to repre- sent neither the interests of Grangers and business men, neither Meohauios nor farmers alone, but to farther the prosperity, the welfare and the liberty of all the people of the whole Province. The pay to members was intended merely as an indemnity, a remunera- tion for the casts outlay, so that a poor man might not be debarred from seek- ing a seat in the legislative halls of the country ; and will any man presume to say that $150 is not an ample allow- ance for a six weekb' stay at the capit- al -that it is not quite sufficient to support any gentleman in luxurious comfort, and leave a handsome allow- ance for pocket money ? We are told that no man ought to be elected who does not profess to be- long to the Reform party. But surely something more ought to be required than a blind adherence to party. If a Government professes to be Reform it ought to be economical with the pub- lic money ; it ought to aim at the most perfect liberty compatible with public safety ; it ought to make wise and equitable laws, to be entirely opposed to class legislation. It is foolish to draw party distinctions in the Local Assembly, as it is merely a County Council with enlarged powers. The questions to be decided in that House are of a different character from those which can be deliberated upon in the House of Commons. We may disagree u on the questions of Free Trade and Protection, but at the same time con- cur in the matter of granting a bonus to a railroad, or iu the buildiug of an insane asylum. It is asserted that the Conservative party are not sincere in this view, bnt facts speak more forcibly than wordy professions. From the year 1867 to the year 1871, the Hon. John Sandfield 3lacdonald,a lifelong Reform- er, and for many years leader of that party, was at the head of the Ontario Government. Yet during his 9•egi/ne he had no warmer supporters than Mr. John Carling, of London, and M. C. Cameron, of Toronto. Iu fact, Con- servatives in and out of the House gave him a cordial and generous support. Why ? Because he carried out his professions. He paid the public servants iu a lib• eral manner for HONEST SERVICES per- formed, and not because they were po- litical supporters. He used the public reveuues in developing the natural re• sources of the country, in the building of useful public institutions, such as the London Lunatic Asylum, Brant• ford Blind Asylum, i'enetanguishene Reformatory, and other public works. He built a handsome and commodious residence for the Govet nor in Toronto and the Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Belleville. Ile built excellent roads end bridges, and locks to improve the streams iu Muskoka, planned a scheme for draining tho swamp lands and ap- propriated two hundred thousand dol- lars for that purpose, sot apart one million, five huudred thouseucl dollars to assist iu the building of railroads leading to our wild territories, and after all this expenditure in furthering those valuable public works, accumulated a surplus of nearly four millions of dol- lars. ED OA.TION Di PART IENT. Co..Se:�SIs0NS nrzwrEN Tan YEA£s 1871 AND 1877. 1871 1877 School: Population.... 439,015 49.4,804 Number Os Schools.., 4,566 5,148 Number High Schools Normal School stu- dente Total expenditure $351, 101 104 174 106 306 $550,93.4 Tho people received of these sums as follows -- To aid coin. schools $178,075 $251,962 " High Schools 69.986 77,199 " Library books 1,650 2,768 " Mapsand ap- paratus 15,083 20,665 Totals $205,049;$351,504 The cost of expending these sums oost uuder the two Governmonta as follows 1871 1877 Public School in- spection $ 11.527 $27,904 High "2,090 9,831 Examiners 000 0,577 E:lucation office salaries Education office contingencies 12,013 15,800 3,631 5,347 187'1 1877 Training teaelhers Nil 6,569 Librery,maps, and apparatus • '84,9049 - 59,988 Depository ealariee 8,408 5,105 " contiuginces 1,671 3,202 Museum ... 8,841 3,944 Journal of Ed,.,.-. 2,370 1,518 Normal St Model Schools, Toron- to, salaries 11,811 18,212 Contingencies do,5,977 7,568 Normal School,Ot- tawa, salariesNil 7.568 Contingencies do Nil 7,480 ler, Ryerson's re- tiring allowance 4,000 • Totals $94,695 $1190,248 So that 5189 more scholars and three more High Sohoole entail an addition- al expense under the leadership of Mr. Mowat, in management alone, in the sum of ninety-five thousand, five huu- dred and fifty three dollars. In other words, it takes $95,000 to. distribute $86.000 to the people. No amount of logic or special pleading can get over 'these facts. FALSIFYING THE RECORDS. I wish particularly to warn the elee• tors of South Huron, of all shades of political opinion, against the persistent misrepresentation of tho Publio Ac- oounts which the Reform press and speaker* have seen fit to carry on for the purpose of misleading the electors and biassing their minde in favor of my opponent and against myself -for the purpose of leading them to believe that the Reform Government has been economical when the eamparative ta- bles on this ;sheet, which are itaken FROG[ DOCVMENTS PRINTED BY MR. MOWAT'S. ORDER, show them to have been extra- vagant is the extreme. It has boon their set policy to misstate the east of Government under Mr. Mowat. From 1873 to 1877, inclusive, the total amount expended, was, under Mr. Mowat, $16,670,352, but my oppon- ents state ib be $11,383,970, a mis- statement to the amount of $5,286,382. This is an unpardonable deception and an unpardonable insult to the electors, who have a right to know the truth. The followiug table shows the total expenditure of both Governments from 1868 to 1877, side by side with the in- correct amounts published by the lead- ers of the Reform party : u r7 a 0 v000 z' .0 U V 00 0 V 3 a a 51� 4 V 0 y g e 5 o a o G N 0y w V 0 a C1 0C -COC 111 .-1 CA 0 0 Om OCD C> 0 CV -e -0d• r1VI. CA t. CO CO J4O-74 N CD Cb CM C4 CD I .. mW dam GO 0 ,-4 ••JI 0 Ca cc•0•e,,-, • CO 10 0 5' C.1 0 CO v 0 r-, CO '0 tri 0 C - N.70000 CA CD C41 C•1. M CD -!, CD 10 CO CO wase. -,m m C.14-4 :4 N N GV r•, CO •44 ,n CD R W `O` CO 0oo 1st 1.1 a w vrA r.1 .2 GO ca .-•. ec';: e 0 V 0 .q 0 es a 3 Ho a Upon this gross deception the scr- eened Reform party rest their hopes of success. DON'T FAIL TO READ THIS. Perhaps there is no subject coming within the jurisdiction of the Local Legislature which demands reform to a greater degree than the Law Courts in connection with collection of debts. Under the present sys- tem a dispute between two parties, amounting to say $99 can be settled in the Division Court at a cost of from $6 to 10, but it it amounts to $101 it has to be tried in the County. Court. The same judge pre- sides in both instances, bat the jurymen, witnesses, Plain- tiff and defendant are dragged to the county town, to remain for days uuder expense, await - in; d.eoision-and. in addition the 'lawyers who conduct the, case are entitled, to not less than $ 20 each and as much in:ore as they can get. The re- sult is the case will cost the unfortunate suitors from $100 to $200. 1,Vill it be believed. that Mr. Bishop actually voted against (,'oraalutled en page four,