RURAL MUNICIPALITIES.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 548, 21 March 1876, Page 2

RURAL MUNICIPALITIES.

To the Editor of the Qldhe. Sib, —There seems such a confusion in the minds of politicians whose ideas circulate in the columns of the I/yttelton Times, that it may not be amiss to dress down the thoughts of that worthy editor (late of the Irish bull) and his correspondents. In the various leaders appearing on the future constitution of New Zealand, as “ expressive of Lyttelton Times policy”—the key-note has always been, “You most have Provinces, or their equivalent, Boards, to save your Land Fund”—that is the extreme limit of vision of your worthy contemporary, and to-day “J. A. 0,” writing goal-

f xnenta on the Timaru resolutions, falls into the same ditch. The old story over again—- “ None so blind as they who will not see.” Indeed, “J, A. C.” is perhaps really blind, unable to see how to save the Land Fund. Let us hope so, at all events, for even ignorance is better than obstinacy ; but is there not a better way ? Suppose we divide Zealandia into one hundred rural municipalities—about fifty in each island—now the meaning of the name is “ Power delegated within limits to a county.” What is to prevent each Board from selling its own land ? The money could be paid in to the Exchequer, and_ appropriated by Act of Parliament, and we should derive three important checks on Government, and three important advantages to the country at large. Check I—Each Eoad Board would know from month to month its own land revenue, and could work with its fellow Boards to see that it got its own funds appropriated to its own purposes. Thus the whole Rural Municipalities would form a Rural Brigade against the towns, to save the Land Fund. Check 2—The check of a fixed price, and free selection from end to end of New Zealand, would put an end to land jobbing. Check 3—The Maori lands could only be dealt with through Road Boards, and a termination would be put to the Native Department in time; because the natives would be glad to get ten shillings cash, and the remainder of the money to be spent on the spot in improvements, such as Roads, Culverts, Bridges, Offices. I have mixed the advantages up with the checks, they are—1. —Salvation of Land Fund, 2. —lncreased value. 3. Abolition of the Native Department. But of the usefulness of such machinery, we should reap many more. Purchase would be so easy—the expensive machinery of Provincial institutions wouid be done away with—ready reference to the county surveyor—a table of lands unsold in each Board —no long expensive journeys to town. A very great advantage also would accrue that in those Boards where a small quantity only of land was left, the price could be made £3, £4, or even £5 or £lO per acre, as in the Christchurch District, and very reasonably so too, because we have made the land more valuable there by position j it is now worth a great deal more than before Railways, or cities had sprung up, and we who have borne th e burden and heat of the day are entitled to some of that position value to recoup the heavy expenditure already made in opening up roads and access to markets for that soil. If the million-acre Education Reserve pro jected by me were made in small blocks, if in the 100 Boards, it would just be 10,000 acres in each Board, but of course it would be more in some and less in others; the said lands would be let in fifty-acre blocks to working men, the land would be occupied at once; settlement greatly promoted education buildings easily erected, and the returns from the Road Boards to Cabinet Minister, through the permanent secretary for Education would make the machinery work smoothly and easily, I am quite sure after nearly twenty years’ study of New Zealand, that this division of the country, on the principle acknowledged now in all the world as the only true avenue to national success, viz., “division of labour, giving perfection of detail, ease of production, and cheapnes,” is the penacea for New Zealand. It breaks up the power of bankrupt provinces, kills log rolling, destroys billets, and puts a finish on billet hunters, while, as we know very well, the Boards, electing their own unpaid chairman, can work smoothly with a superior authority. How much and how often do the Spreydon and Spring Road Boards quarrel with their superiors, and yet the Central Government are making stations, sheds, cattle stages, telegraphs, &c., &c., in these two Boards, without a single row. A candidate in an election speech said, he would roll a Kaipara log, if Kaipara rolled a Kaiapoi log ; but,where is log-rolling when Kaipara Revenue only is for Kaipara, and Kaiapoi Revenue only for Kaiapoi ? Log-rolling, billet-hunting, and appropriations ; these were the three great ruinous political sins of our last House of Commons. But they forget “ Sins, like chicks, always come home and the corrupt Provinces are abolished, thanks to their political crimes, causing the Premier to tear up the Law of 1870, and plunging New Zealand into £300,000 a year more charges than she had any right to pay. Rural municipalities selling land by free selection, a heavy wild land tax, and an absentee tax ; these are the only chances for Bankrupt Wellington and Auckland. Yours, &c,, J. W. TREADWELL.