EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1895, 17 July 1888, Page 2

EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD.

DISTRICT RAILWAYS PURO BASING BILL, In the House on May 22, Mr Walked m speaking to the second reading of the BUI said : Ido not rise to oppose tb.ii BUI, but, at the same time, I thtnk the request made by the honorable gentleman who spoke last (dfr Ouwan) was very reasonable, that the ratepayers should have a fair opportunity of reading the jßlll and making themselves aoqualuted with iti contents. I quite agree with what hai been said by the OoIodUI Seoretary, that ever Bines these railways have been Introduced into this colony a fatality has been connected with everything, m the shape of legislation concerning *h*m. There has always been some hitch which has made the legislation m oaonfcotloo with them inoperative. I sinaerely trust that the Oolontal Secretary, if he ourlesthisß.il, will find success attend his maiden effort m this direction . Bat, sir, I have one or two objections to ths measure %hl oh I truat I may be permitted to urge m Committee. In the first place, undoubtedly I think a hardship wai felt by the ratepayers In not reoeivlng details of the account whioh purported to convey the profit and loss on the railway for « finanolal year. The ratepayers naturally wished to know ths details of that account, and, oo far as I know, never reoelved • satisfactory account whioh conveyed anything to them. And I am glad to reoogniße In this Bill the attempt made by the honourable the mover to provide for some machinery for receiving legitimate objections. lam not prepared to Bay whether the machinery provided Is sufficient; I rather fear, not. lam Inclined to think that the tendency of the present Govern* ment is rather to overburden the some-* what cumbrous maohinery connected with that otrioer who is designated as the appeal authority In this Bill. He has lately had placed under his oharge a very Urge number of important and additional functions, and when I was at home a few weeks ago I found that all the work he has had lately placed on his shoulders had not been overtaken ; and therefore I appeal to the Government, if they have any oonoern m keeping up this high office, not to overwhelm It by putting too muoh on that ofiolal's shoulders. I do not think, moreover, that there should be an appeal to an official residing In Wellington, oertalnly not to an official suoh as the Controller and Auditor-General, who, aa has been said, should keep dear of local contention and discord. Therefore I trust that the mover of the Bill will see his way. when the Bill is m Committee, or, perhaps, before that time comes, to devise expedients fcr providing a more perfect maohinery for the object he has m view, with which I moat heartily sympathise. Lastly, the olaaae which refers to the back rttea Is one, I think, of a very doubtfoi character. { have no sympathy with the ratepayer* who bad Dot paid on -apoount of their desire not to pay tkeir fair ihare of liabilities to the Government ; beoanse the Government of the colony, In pasting the principal Aot, moat undoubtedly released them In a very straightforward way 'from liabilities whioh they had assumed, and therefore the least; they oa.n do m return is to willingly pay the ratea whioh that Aot of relief plaoed on their Bhonlderii But we must remember that these ratea whioh are now due are rates to which the ratepayers have never been a consenting 'party. la tome oases, I believe—la faot, I think if the records are turned up It will be found that In nearly every case the whole question was that they objeoted to the aooounts rendered by the Government. I bave heard a little about some of these acoounta and I know the settlers had very serious roasdns to complain of the Imperfect and highly unintelligible manner fp whtfsh those accounts were furnished thetft. When two partita under a partnership affair suoh aa this between the ratepayer! and the Government have ta agree upon the payment of a certain sum of money, the least which I think the peraon who keeps the books can do is to furnish an acoount showing the liability In aooh a way that the ratepayers liable may under* stand the justioe of the claim. I maintain that this has never yet been done hitherto, and that thtter baok rate*, whioh are now belbg legalised In this Bill, etfa those ratea which the ratepayers have not had an opportunity of oritlblsjlng, and have not h, ad an opportunity of applying the maohinery which this Bill devises fqr their relief and satisfaction," Thj'je back rates, therefore, are apoonnta furnlahpjj simply from one party to this transaction, but never reoognisad by the other j and If the intention of the mover of this Bill ia to legalise these baok rates, the least the Government oan do la to enable the two parties to the transaction t* go into the acQouuto from the beginning, and look Into the fairness of the manner of bookkeeping. lam not speaking without some knowledge of one of theaa railway.*, and X Ww that the r pasV Wtbfbd of rendering acoounta was moit unsatisfactory to the ratepayers, who were honestly and anxiously desirous of fulfilling their' obligations. But to arrive at any conclusion m the matter was perfectly impossible. I trust, therefor*?, that the trover of the BUI wilt not thins that lauvapeaklng hootllely $o his measure. On. the ocihtr Ary, I^deilrd to see it oarrled In a satisfactory snaps; 1 4.11 1 wish to see ia fair-play and reaaon«b!o consideration given to 1 theae two' or throe pqlnt^j 4 k ty* «»V9 tluja, I CWnt there ia a great deal lo the contention of the honorable member whojprecodtd «a that fair notice ahould be given ta th,e ratepayers oonoarned, Tbe debute wai ad|oirnf d,