Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1880. THE GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 105, 27 August 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1880. THE GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT.

In a few days the session will close, and the question naturally arises, What good work has been done since it opened ? A more barren or worthless session has not for many years claimed a place in the history of New Zealand Parliaments than will le occupied by that about to close. This is to be regretted for many reasons. We regret it especially because the barrenness of the session can be traced almost entirely to the mismanagement of the Government. We have on many occasions admired the outspoken prudence of the Goyemment.and have generally credited them with being superior to their predecessors, but this session they have made a lamentable mess of the business of the country and of Parliament. Take the matter of finance as an illustration. Last session Major Atkinson announced that Government intended to stop the subsidies at the close of the financial year, and stated that by the present session they expected to have a plan matured which would place local finance on a sound footing^fend be in every way an improvement on the subsidy system. Well, on the eighth of June, very early in the session, the Financial Statement was brought down to the House; In it the Treasurer, sketched his scheme of local finance, which was briefly, to abolish the subsidies, and in their place confer power to rate up to 2s in the JJ, also for Government to pay rates on all property owned by them, and upon native lands. He also proposed to found a Local Board of Works, which should have power to make grants to local bodies of moneys derived from land sales, &c. He also , stated Government intended to 'bring in a Bill to exempt personal effects fiom the Property Tax, and also a Beer Duty Bili. These proposals were on the whole satisfactory to the country, we mean speaking generally. As to the Local Finance scheme, there was much to be said against it, but taking the Statement as a whole it was approved by the country as prudent and farseeing. Yet, instead of introducing their . Bills at an early date, and keeping the important business of tlje country before the House, the government introduced a number of little, peddling fiajs, most of which J have had to be abandoned, while not one of their important money Bills was introduced before the beginning of the present week. The upshot is, that the Government have abandoned the Local Public Works Bill and the Rating Act Amendment Bill for the session and upon the Beer Duty Bill being introduced, tbe duty of 6d per; gallon* which the Government proposed, wasTedtfced by one half. To compensate for the advantages the local bodies lose through their

(local finance scheme not being gone, on with, they propose to spend £100,000 as subsidies, so that after all the subsidies will be continued* -: at least partially, during the year. We have opposed the subsidies on the ground that they were calculated to enrich the wealthy local bodies in the South Island, who have already good roads, while sparsely-populated dia* triots in the North Island, which really needed assistance, received only in proportion to their poverty, and their requirements were disregarded. This iniquity is to be perpetuated during another year, and the whole blame will lie at the door of the Government, who have allowed, the session to be wasted in talk upon minor metiers and little Bills, instead of forcing on the attention of the House the real business of the country.