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Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1926, Page 2

Tub position of the local bodies affected where timber cutting rights Have been granted under the Alining Act. is causing some concern as a result of the recent Appeal Court decision whereby control has been removed from the Warden's Court. It seems to be suggested that with that veto tbe question of the payment of a proportion of the timber royalty is determined also. If this be so in law it will he a great hardship for the West Coast local bodies in particular. It is certainly not an equitable adjustment of tbe matter, for it takes from the local bodies revenue which was given them by Parliament for a special reason and purpose. For fully twenty years now, under tlm authority of tbe statute, local bodies have been entitled to royalties on the timber and lias recovered from Crown Hands. Tt was an equitable payment for the reason that the Crown Lands are not valuable, and the royalty is a fair substitute, providing the means to assist the local bodies in the upkeep of the roads. The wear and tear of timber traffic over the roads is very considerable. It is a growing charge on tlm local bodies because of the modern methods of transport by motor vehicles carrying heavy loads and moving swiftly. That 'aspect is added to fur thor by reason of tbe distance 'traversed, with lorries it is now possible t.o transport economically over a greater distance, thus involving more road mileage. It is not. fair that the rate payers should hear the burden of road subjected to such traffic, solely from the rates. Idealising that tact. Parliament wive authority to .pay one half of the royalties from Crown Lands t..> the local bodies, but H’-e practice is now said to be threatened by reason of the legal decision above referred to. It does not ‘appear clear that the local bodies were alive to the importance of the issue at slake, when the Court decided the matter lately, hut questions asked in Parliament ibis week bv tbe Afembers for Boiler and Westland indicate that Ibe situation is now realised, and on behalf of the local bodies a strong plea is being put up to introduce remedial legislation to save the position for local government. The four Counties on the Coast 'are very much interested in tlm matter, for there is a great tract of Crown Lam’s all along the Coast, timber bearing, which indicates to what extent the local bodies arc directly interested in the matter.

Foil moro than ton years now the royalties rinostion lias been in issue in some form or other, and the source of revenue has had its precarious side for the local bodies. In the first instance it was a®very technical loyral ((iiestion as to the application of royalties revenue affecting income from land not necessarily Crown Lands in use or occupation as such. There were the mining lands reserved for lie Crown, but set apart specially for purposes other than settlement, and it took a long time to reach a decision on tlm allocation of funds from each sources. We do not know that the matter was ever settled finally to the satisfaction of those chiefly concerned, but when something of a compromise was reached, the Forest Service came into being and cron toil a fresh diversion. The timber lands weie still as before, but instead of being Crown areas in tbe former sense, they became provisional reservations for forestry. The law ufis so interpreted that, the local bodies lost their share of the revenue, and it was only after a long struggle that the Government granted a fifth of the revenue, where before /i half was conceded. Vet, as was remarked above, the conditions were the same; the same land; same timber; same roads to be used. The members of the local bodies though! themselves hardly trilled, hut tUoy had to accept the fifth given as grudgingly as it was, or take nothing. This scheme was hardly in working order, when along came the Appall Court decision referred to above, and further revenue is in jeopardy. In the questions asked in the House ibis week, reference is made to the legislation to ho introduced of a validating character, and Air Seddon very wisely asked that the local bodies concerned should have an opportunity of considering the legislation before it is passed. On different occasions formerly, legislation affecting the position has been put through in a very hurried, if not secret, manner. It has been concealed in war time legislation; it has been introduced at ihe last moment hv Governor-General's message by way of inter-isolation in a measure already before Parliament ; and it lias been introduced in the verv d.ving hours of a session when there was not time to communicate even by telegram as to the gist of the proposals. The local bodies did not receive a fair deal in such cases. It was a. case ot doing something quickly and affording no chance for redress. Because of Hint treatment of the mVitter in the past, the member for Westland was on the right track in asking that ample time he given to consider the proposals of the Government when, the legislation is brought down. The local bodies will require to remain alert as to the position, and to watch the legislation promoted on the subject in order to see that their rights are safeguarded ill such a way as to pssure necessary revenue to them on the matter.