The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1872.

Dunstan Times, Issue 536, 26 July 1872, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1872.

Beneath the Rule of MenESTXEBtY jcst thepENis mightier than the swnr.D

The increased interest which we witness every year taken by the public in Municipal elections is a most convincing proof that the advantages of local self-government are thoroughly appreciated, and that people are becoming alive to the fact that good government, in a great measure depends upon themselves. It is much more satisfactory to find people relying upon their own resources for help than to be continually petitioning or importuning the Government whenever anything is wanted,especially in small mutters of local interest : while, at the same time, it must greatly lighten the work of the Executive to find the | people doing that for themselves which j previously had to he done for them. Municipal institutions aregetting moie and morepnto favor, especially'on the Goldfields; and, judging from what we read in country newspapers, there will shortly he very few towns that ;are~| not [incorporated. Never were the Mayoral Elections so closely contested or such efforts made to obtain ithe coveted honor, and by gentlemen who possess the means and ability to discharge the office of Mayor. Well-o-do citizens have freely entered the sts against adventurers,’and wo may -cept it as a sign of the times that le same public spirit which is now fused into our Municipal Elections 'll, ere long, be extended into counts for seats in the Legislature. The ys-of the needy political adventurer ’ numbered, and our representatives Parliament will be men wlio possess take in the country. The prosperity 1 oh has attended our business people ug the last few years is unprented, and we may safely infer the trading classes, spite of the less of the times, never did better have drove large businesses, very little loss ; and, having thus d their own turns, it is some wledgemont for benefits received I them coming forward to profile well-being of those who .ssisted them to fortune. Having led so well on a small scale ocal self-government, it is time led our attention in a direction ire extended sphere, and make nicipal Institutions still more without grasping at aooom- , too much. Our Municipal ies are within very circumiinoits, and we should desire to a extended into the country, ■pt the Shire or Road Board would be tho easiest way out iifculty, as wo have precedents g; but there are great diffin the way, on account of the of pc pulatiOn and but little •upied To start aShire Council Boa 1 into existence theie . people to be taxed, and we ■ om not —or rather they are so their holdings so small that 00 to he derived therefrom le swamped in preliminary ; nor does there appear any ,1 of this difficulty being re--1 extensive area of laud avail-

afilo for occupation by the agriculturist not having existence, Next, the squatters could only be taxed to a very small degree, while to tax the miners would be positively unjust, that class being objects of special taxation already. A sufficient local revenue could not be raised by taxation, and the ordinary subsidy to Hoad Boards would be quite insufficient—nothing but a special grant in aid would suffice. This, however, we think should should be made in respect to the Gold-fields, for reason that the inhabitants thereof are not only objects of special taxation, but, from the nature of their callings, are consumers of dutiable 'goods to a much larger extent than the populations of merely agricultural or pastoral dis tricts. To extend the Municipal Sboundary and jurisdiction of the re spective Municipal towns over the old-field which it represents wouldnot be a difficult proceeding ■ and, in addition to the licensing fees already allowed, let there be a subsidy of 31. to 1 1, upon rates collected, when each Municipal district would oe able to keep its own roads in repair. It would be the interest of both dwellers in town and country to assist each other, -and there would be the satisfaction that the money would be fairly and profitably expended, and not wasted as |at present, for no system of roadmaking could be more’ extravagant and inefficient than the one now pursued. The losses we suffer eveiy winter through bad roads is something enormous ;*and, unless road-making is taken out of the hands of the Pro viucial Government and invested in the people themselves,"there will be no escape out of the difficulty, as the same folly of expending money upon day labor, without a proper supervision, will still be perpetuated. We have no hesitation in saying that, were the money even now expended upon roads by the Provincial Government placed in the hands of local bodies, [they ’wouldj'accomplish twice as much with ’ it. To heXtendTthe Municipal system after the manner indicated would 'be cheaper to the Government, and the people would be better" satisfied with laying out their own money than having it laid out for them in questionable form.