WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

(11 MAT’ ROWER AND I.IGHTfXO. ' THK LUCKY son’ll. j i [Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON*, April 26. [j Dunedin and Christchurch in vying t with one another in belauding their ■ cheap and effective electric- services, as well they may do, have reminded the | suburban and rural districts of Wrl- , lington of the fair promises that wen.made to them in this respect when lie Government was committing it .self t«> | huge lighting and power schemes for the benefit of the North Island. 'W hen ( the whole system was linked up. the | taxpayers and the ratepayers were told, a flat rate of charges would he framed by which the North Island. , would benefit from the cheaper instill- ; incuts in the South Island, and the service would become, not merely m name, hut in actual fact, a great' national undertaking bv which none of tlm districts after being penalised by', delay would he furllier penalised hv , higher charges. The present Prime. Minister in his early ministerial days ( at the Public Works Office was a, .irong and eloquent advocate of this, course. It was obviously the light, ibing, he declared, and the North Is-' and agreed with him cordially. Put the (south Island naturally protested,and, the huge expenditure upon the .Mangaluio scheme giving point and weight to the protest .the Government United and left the South with its irivileges unimpaired and the North with its burdens sadly increased. [

TAXATION. Whether or not the Government adopted the right course is no longer i matter for profitable discussion. Ef-'.--•t has been given to its deeisioli and : i. cannot he reviewed. The question •i' taxation still remains, however, and if the South Island electric services are making huge profits out of their oportions. as they are reported to re doing, then they are pretty sure to have the tax-collector on their heels , -01101- or later. The principle that talc and municipal undertakings ent ring into competition with private nterprise should he subject to the ame taxation as are similar undertakings in private hands has been gencr- ■ fly- recognised. The Government has pven effect to the principle in a inini-

'or of instances in which its own undertakings are (oneerned. and it auiiot consistently allow such electric imlertakings as are furnishing Dmie!in and f'liristcliureli with cheap lighfug and no wit to escape their fair hare of the national burden. The miiiieipaliiies will not be allowed inlefinitely to pass on their profits to he ratepayers in the shape of cheap services. The public conscience, ,-hether domiciled in the North or the South, ultimately will rebel against uoh a travesty upon the principle of quality of sacrifice. ’I his is one of he problems Parliament will he dismissing next session. DOMINION’S FINANCES. The statement in regard to the Do■lininu’s finances made by the Ifon.

Y„ 1). Stewart to-day though it cun iiius nothing more than a mere men ion of the total revenue and expendi ure for the financial year just closed

'ms heeti received with very general atisfnsd iim. The revenue, in round 'gores, amounts to t"-’1,610.0(10 and ’■e expenditure to £24,333.000, leavng a surnlus of L‘sß7 ,000, which is -nhstantially better than the Minis-, tor's prediction of “just, about an even ' shine:.' The custodians of tiio Trersrry. however, always estimate in ir revenue at something below the amount they have in sight, and Mr slcwait does not claim to have been j more prei.tse than his pre-dcoosx-.0-s. j -'he critic, arc gratified to find that j -'rum hi-, sa.roLr. ol 0 jST.OOO, |-e hi-. romptly applietl £315.000 to the tv-, luction of the public debt, in addition,' || < rut's.-, to the statutory payments •>;. was compelled to make under the '’nhlie Debt Repayment Act-. Tlie in- . •ident is somewhat reminiscent of a [ similar nrovision made by Mr .ToTin j Pal lance in ls’o'l and naturally it is re-. viving recollections ol the prudent ! methods of tlu- great Liberal financier. I Physically as unlike as they well c mid he. Mr Ballance and Mr Stewart m | temperament and manner bear a strong resemblance to one another, and the. fact is not being quoted to the detriihe younger leader .MEN! f’P \L ELECT SON?. To-mo: row’s municipal elections are not arousing a great deal ol interest in the city and the “ Dominion ’’ pictures nearly enough the cleavage that lies hie tween the contending parties, j “The mayoral election on this occ-a-; sion.” it says, “is a straight-out contest, and to the majority of the elec- j tors should present little difficulty. I Each candidate has a record ol service, •ui the council, but while Mr Troup is standing as the representative of the general body of ctizons Mr Chapman, his opponent, is the official nominee oT a ' clas.—conscious ’ section. It is not in the public interest t. > emphasise over much the party element in municipal government. What is urgently required is a mayor, and. with him, a council who will set themselves resolutely to the task of securing the efficient and economical administration cf the city’s affairs. This is largely a question of organisation and management. It will no doubt occur to the electors, therefore, that the best means of ensuring this would he to return a strong leaven of the old council. with a moderate admixture of new blood with which to refresh and invigorate its administrative capacity.” The concluding senteme, though an adequate summary of the position, is scarcely flattering to the old members j. of the council. i :