The Feilding Star. Published Daily. THURSDAY, OCT. 10, 1893.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 95, 19 October 1893, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Published Daily. THURSDAY, OCT. 10, 1893.

THE BOROUGH BYE LAWS. Thk Bye-laws proposed to be adopted by the Feilding Borough Council have excited much correspondence iv our columns, but no controvercy. Each writer has found a flaw or a weakness in some particular clause — in his opinion — and ou that he has not only condemned the Bye laws ns a whole, but the Councillors as well Not a single word of the many rually admirable provisions made for tho preservation of life and property, or for the comfort and well being of th* burgesses, has been written of praise or commendation. We have some knowledge as to how these laws were compiled, and consider that the members of the Feilding Borough Council who undertook the onerous task are deserving of much credit, not only for the labor they bestowed upon it, but for the generally admirable quality of their work. Every clause, section, or sub-section of these Bye-laws was created, not from their (the Councillors) own inner consciousness, as has been stated, but was a digest from a host of similar Bye-laws now in force in other parts of the colony which, in their turn, were the results of the experiences of Boroughs in England, or in other parts of the world where English custom is dominant. One correspondent lamented that he could not put in a nail, or effect the slightest repairs to his house, i without first obtaining the consent of the Borough official, whoever he might be. Quite so, but this very arbitrary looking little Bye- law is an absolutely necessary legal protection, made compulsory by legal decisions in other places, when advantage had been taken of its absence to break the spirit as well as the letter of the law in this respect. Boroughs, like private individuals, have suffered from these very delicate legal distinctions, and experience has made them wise. Any weakness or flaw in the building, or sanitaiy regulations of a Borough may iuvolvo not only lionvy costs in litigation, but tho lives of hundreds of persons. A litigious man is like a drunkard, or a gambler — all the world may be sacrificed so long as his darling vice is gratifieJ. Another correspondent complained bitterly of the hardship of drivers of vehicles having to carry lamps — lighted— at night, also of the said drivers being compelled to be sober in their habits, and cleanly in their persons. Well, why these should be made causes of complaint we utterly fail to see. The same writer objected to carriers having to pay licenses, because he wanted, or fancied he wanted, his neighbor, who owns a vehicle, to do some odd job for him on some occasion in the near or distant future. He does not appear to have known that the very object of licensing a carrier is just as much for the protection of the public, and the individual, as the licensing of a hotelkeeper. The one provides vehicles and horses at all times, and the other a home and accommodation f«»r the resident as well as the travelling public. If every person who owned a carriage or vehicle was permitted to ply for hire without restraint, or everyone who could raise the money to buy a barrel of beer was allowed to retail the same at his own sweet will, chaos would certainly result. It is to prevent such confusion that these Bye-laws are created. Wo are quite satisfied that few, if any, of them are ultra circs, and further than that, we do not belieye that under any real circumstance they can ever be made oppressive to individuals. Those who do complain against them should remember that Feilding is increasing in size as regards buildings as well as in respect of population. For the safety of life, as well as property, as we have eaid before, precautions must be taken to obviate, as far as is possible, the risk of fires spreading should they once begin in any part of a block, and people must be compelled to cleanliness in parts likely to be densely populated, in order to prevont the spread of disease. The liberty of the subject is a very fine thing to talk about, but it doea not mean that one man should be allowed to erect a building in such a way as to endanger the safety of other men's dwellings, or that uuotbor ono should bo permitted to live in a btute of inaauitutiou. Iv conclusion, we would like to hiut to cavillers tbat it would be much better for the burgesses tv give their

loyal support to Councillors, by assisting them to carry out these Byelaws, which are for the benefit of all without distinction of persons. What Councillors have done, they have done with the best intentions, and their absolute honesty of purpose, in our opinion, is deserving of the most complete credence. Tnat they have faults we are free to adroit, but that i they do not do their best for their ! fellow burgesses, according to the ; light that is in them, we do not for j one moment believe.

Although the Hon. Mr Seddon has many admirable qualities, it is to be feared that absolute accuracy of statement is not one of them. For instance, in his speech here, he said when referring to a State Bank : " Some people said the Government should go into State banking, j and issue notes of their own. These . people had apparently not read up the business of last session, and even their friends of the press had been a little behind. They took power last session in the Post Office Act to issue postal notes which were payable all over the colony, and payable as bank notes, and were legal tender." But the honorable gentleman, very conveniently, forgot to mention that the Government demanded a premium at the rate of twenty-five shillings per cent, on these notes, i.e., for a note of a face value of 20s, a premium of threepence is charged. As bank notes are issued at par, it is absurd to draw a comparison between them.