Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1891. Voting for Loans.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 14 February 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1891. Voting for Loans.

♦ We have before described the enactments of Parliament as being better calculated to frustrate than achieve the objects for which they are framed. Governments, during the past years, hay*-* passed many laws to shift the burd_n of taxation from the consolidated revenue to the shoulders of individual taxpayers*. The result

liowever, has not reduced taxAtioh, but has materially increased it. Prom the period when the Government supplied three-fourths of the borrowed money to local bodies, to the time when the whole amount had to be re-paid by the borrower was short. We need not now argue whether this is wholly fair, though we do notthink-ifc isrfts We wish to show how difficult tlie >ct> passed to enable local bodies Sd r&iste loans, irtakeS the ol.fcaii.hlg of the majority of the votes. In new.districts, which are those most urgently in need of loans to open up the country, the Act makes it simply impossible to obtain one. as the majority must he the majority ot all votes technically exercisable. Thus ratepayers, living outside the Colony, or anywhere outside of the area in which the loan is to be raised, hold votes, presumably exercisable, and a new district has not only to be unanimous, but must have resident, near enough to attend the poll, voters who hold one half of the rateable property. Cases have occurred, time after time, where polls have been taken, where every ratepayer living in the district has voted for the loan, ftlitt yet the same has heeli lost through the absence of those who could not possibly be present. Fortunately, Wellington City has met with a reverse ihi polling for the drainage loan, and our city contemporaries are now comprehending the extreme difficulty that exists in complying with the conditions of the Act. They are contenting themselves by urging the passing of a Special Act J;o enable them to borrow, when three to four hundred votes were recorded against such loan, and yet they think it dangerous to amend the Act in any way by which local bodies, the voters being all favourable to the scheme, shall be permitted to obtain their wishes. We cannot see where the difference between Wellington aud the country exists, to justify any special legisla tion for their benefit. We are far irom desiring to see no loan obtained for drainage in Wellington, we think that it is a most necessary work, but Aye hold that having tested the difficulty of borrowing under an Act framed presumably for the benefit of the country settlers, our contemporaries should interest themselves in the law and lend thenassistance to secure a much needed reform. The Act makes it necessary that votes be recorded, which means a personal attendance at a certain place, on a certain day, and within certain hours. The whole scope of the legislation bearing upon this question is to assure the Government that the majority of the ratepayers are willing to bind themselves to the increased taxation necessary to pay interest on the monay ton-owed. We believe that it is only fair that the majority, should have a voice upon such an important matter, but we do not agree with the barbarous machinery provided in the Act. To compel men to travel long distances to the one polling booth only allowed in the district, to erase their opinion ot tb.9 scheme, upon a piece of paper, is going the longest way round to get the result. In securing a petition for separation of a county, canvassers are allowed to he employed to secure signatures, and they initial each signature, and finally make a declaration that all signatures initialled by them, were duly made in their presence. Why cannot permission be given to adopt some such method for loans ? It seems far cheaper to employ two oi three canvassers, than to force the settlers of a whole district to give up the most of a day's time iq.. record. their votes. This we think- is one* improvement that might be made, and another would be, to extend power to local bodies to obtain declarations from ratepayers residing put , of the district as to their views for or against the loan. By some such process the Government and the ratepayers would he guarantee It^M ;iio^6j^|f distasteful to the majority of the ratepayers would be carried, and it would do away with the necessity of promoting special legislation for special localities. Ifwould also be a great boon ; * to those who give their time in for-' warding the public progress of large country constituencies.