The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 3.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 300, 3 June 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 3.

A Gazette has been issued calling Parliament together for dispatch of business on July 11. This is earlier than has usually been the case, but as the financial year closes on June 30, it is a step in the right direction. By the old plan of allowing a considerable portion of the year to elapse before the Assembly was summoned, and then bringing in a number of Imprest Supply Bills to carry on with, the Government of the day practically escapes to a great extent the control of the Assembly over ifcs expenditure. We hope that this early summoning of the Assembly indicates a desire on the part of the present administration to submit its fiscal policy to the untramelled criticism of the Assembly.

With regard to the work before the Assembly in the coming Session, of course not much that is definite can be known till the House meets and Ministerial utterances are made. Meanwhile, that portion of the Press which professes to be behind the scenes, which might be supposed by its oracular utterances, to hare a " special" at each meeting of the Cabinet, hae been laying down the programme to be brought forward with singular minuteness, and has announced the probable fate of its various items with the utmost confidence. The fimbarassing part of the matter is that these "well-informed" journals differ widely among themselves as to the different measures to be submitted, and the attitude to be assumed by the Government. The outsider, therefore, who is not in the secrets of the prison-house, is driven to the conclusion that many of these so-called authoritative utterances are neither more nor less than " feelers," put forth with the intention of eliciting expression of public opinion, which may prove of service to those at the helm of the ship of state.

On all sides, however, it seems to be admitted that one measure to be sub. mitted will be a Bill to authorize the raising of a fresh loan. Various discrepancies exist as to the estimates of its probable amount. One " well-in-formed " journal sets it down at teii millions, while another informs Uβ that Government wil° only ask for less than a third of that sum. However this may be, it is certain $hat a further loan is a necessity, and we believe that the real secret of the Assembly being summoned so early is that the Government hope to get a Bill for this purpose through in time for authority to raise the loan to be sent home by the next mail after the meeting.

To the raising of a loan we ancicipate there will be no serious opposition. The country has definitely committed itself to the policy of Public Works. That policy has proved to be a greater success than even its most sanguine promoters ventured to anticipate. To stop short now, without completing our main lines of railway, would be an act of lunacy. We do not imagine, therefore, that the Opposition will oppose the loan itself— for if they got into power they would necessarily have to ask the Assembly to sanction a similar measure—but they, no doubt, will take the opportunity to criticise the policy of the Government generally. They may say in effect— "We admit that a loan is advisable, but you are not the men to be entrusted with raising and spending it." It is obvious that from this point of view a direct vote of want of confidence would be the only alternative to agreeing to the loan as proposed.

Over the question of taxation there will, no doubt, be a great fight, but on this field we anticipate a secure victory for the Government if they adhere to the broad painciple they have laid down —that property, as such, should be compelled to contribute to the necessities of the State. Some of the Opposition journals have been making merry over the difficulties and delays incident to putting the Land Tax Act into force, and have even gone the length of asserting that Government will quietly abandon the impost. The wish has been father to the thought. To expect a Treasurer to renounce a revenue of over £ 100,000 a year — a revenue easily collected—that will increase from year to year, and that, on an emergency, can be'doubled or trebled by an enactment of half-a-dozen lines—is to ignore all experience and knowledge of humaii nature. Capital will, no doubt, make a hard fight for itself, but that it will escape scot free any longer we certainly do not expect. The opponents of this measure cried out against its exceptional nature. "We own property of other kinds than land," said they, "do come and tax us too. We are devoured with a generous desire to contribute to the coffers of the State which protects us in the enjoyment of that property." Wβ fancy these gentlemen are likely to be taken at their word, and have their sincerity put to the test. In other words, that a general tax on projperty, if not on income, will be one of the measures which they will be invited to assent .to. .

Space will not permit us to notice other important questions which must be attended to during the ensuing Session, among others the Licensing Law, which is of sufficient importance to demand an article to itself.