Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/108

 82 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The citizens exiKjnditure for the first quarter of his administration was estimated at ^32,000, and there was only the sum of /700 in the Treasury to meet it. In addition, the sum of ncarlv ^3.000 was due from Colonel Gawler's last quarter, besides the large amount of /" ^5.000 for outstanding claims. The land sales were falling off, the general receipts for revenue were decreasing, and many people were becoming destitute. In getting a thorough understanding of the position. Governor Grey had grievous trouble. Although Go'ernor Gawler had improved upon the system of conducting public business initiated by Governor Hindmarsh, there was still room for amendment, and to add to the confusion, fires in Government House and the Survey Office had destroyed valuable records containing claims against the Government. Governor Grey was imbued with the importance of a policy of decentralisation. Labor, he held, should not be kept in the towns, but should be scattered broadcast among the ])roducers. He proposed to instantly stop certain public works that were in progress, but he was greeted with excited remonstrances from colonists. He instituted a few small retrenchments, and added to some of the .State imposts, but here, too, he met with opposition. As to the laboring classes de|x;ndent on Government aid, he was in a quandary. He wrote to the bench of magistrates asking for an opinion as to the remuneration that should be given to immigrants whom, by agreement, the Government was compelled to support. ■ The magistrates replied by deprecating the practice of keeping the laboring population in the towns, and recommended that the Government allowance should be 7s. a week for a single man, los. 6d. for a man and wife, and 2s. 6d. for every " unemployed child in the family up to three, inclusive." They also suggested that (Jo'ernment laborers should work in summer from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday included, and in winter from 7 to 5, and that laborers (single) who declined to accept ^20 (or, married, £3,0) per annum and rations, should be refused Government employment. Governor Grey adopted these recommendations, but there was a general outcry, and public meetings, memorials, and deputations followed. Before the end of the year he had to support nearly 2,000 destitute persons, and the utmost unrest prevailed. When the news arrived that Governor Gawler was recalled, the hopes of the j>eople began to wane, and with his departure they got to a low state indeed. When the first bills were dishonored, all looked to tiovernor Gawler, and they were to some extent satisfied with his assurance that the bills would be met by the Imperial Government, but week after week pa.ssed, and there was no sign that such was the case. Fear that the Province was bankrupt became widespread, for it was believed that with it the colonists themselves would be insolvent. The burden of the refusal to meet the bills necessarily fell on those who were personally interested in them- the unsuspecting colonists — and no one else. Government bills were of no value, and Government claims were as waste pa|>er. Latterly, big contracts had been entered into between colonist and colonist, and difficultie.s of settlement seemed insuperable, especially when Governor Grey announced his determination to retrench and retrench again.