THE Mount Ida Chronicle SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1876.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 395, 7 October 1876, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1876.

The Government County Bill, with its new face, is now once more before the Assembly. The differences are not 1 very material. We do not notice any financial concession to the local bodies iof the future. Otngo is to be cut up I into about eight Counties, the single County or Board of Works asked for by nineteen out of the Otago members having been refused in deference to the clamor of the Government supporters. The County of Clyde, has travelled further inland on the map. "We have instead the County of Maniototo which extends from Macraes on the one side to the electoral boundary between tho Dunstan and Mount Ida Districts on the other. The Dunstan and Wakatipu Districts are to form two Counties, extending to Southland. The new principle introduced into the Bill is the Permissive one. There is to be no choice as to the definition of the Counties, or as to the election of the County ' Councils, unless/indeed the whole mass of the people refuse to find nominees for the meetings, which is not likely. The Councils are to be duly constituted, and at their first meeting, if they choose, they can, by resolution,- decline to come under the -Act. In such case they still exist, and can fill up vacancies in their number, but cannot otherwise' act except to pass a resolution as.king the Governor in Council to give them the powers at a subsequent period which in the firßt instance they have declined. It seems almost absurd to call this extending the Pornrssive -principle to the -Coun° ties. It is contrary to all experience to suppose that men would allow themselves to be elected to a County Council, and that, when assembled after the flush of a contest, would nicely enquire as to what means they would have at their disposal. The temptation to experiment at local government would in every case be more than average human nature could resist. If the first meeting of the Council is not taken advantage of to pass the Tefusal of power resolution it cannot be done under resolution passed at a subsequent meeting. So far as our County is concerned, if we must have a Conntv, the boundaries are not much to" be complained of. Provision will be made in the Bill to enable inland Municipalities to unite with the Counties. Obviously it would be absurd to have a County Council meeting at Naseby j or Clyde as well as a Municipal Coun- | eil. AH the business of these towns could be managed much better by governing bodies which had a wider scope of action. At the same time the town ratepayers.whilebettergoverned, would not be so heavily taxed. At the present time it were foolishness to go further into the : subject. : The County Bill may, under our Variety Government, change a dozen times, . Otaso also may refuse to- have anything "to do with the County Bill in any shape. Poverty is an unpropitious yokefellow to a national system of local Government.

The country seems to He."pretty well used-to living upon borrowed money. It opens its mouth to swallow other two millions as if it recognised that borrowing were its daily bread. The Loan Bill, which is the humble instrument towards satisfying" this craving on our part, is now before Parliament Ministers tell us that one million will do this year, but the other must be forthcoming next year. When will this : end ; ? or will it ever end? A Wellington merchant,.who. represents that city, told the House of Eepresentatives that we must continue to borrow for twenty or thirty years. Unfortunately, besides pur desire to borrow, another element lii the calculation is necessary : the capitalist must be willing to lend. Those who have returned amongst us, whose opportunities during a late visit to England enable them to speak with some authority, say unhesitatingly that we cannot borrow more money at present in England. It is not that the English money-len-der has a down on New Zealand, or that he is influenced by captious critics or the like, but that he participates in the feeling that New Zealand for a young coantry has borrowed enough. The Kotbschilds, it is said, are not likely to help again inimedintely, as they have great difficulty in forcing off upon the Home market the remains of the four million loan they still hold. The pleasant picture of imagination so freely drawn during the recess that Baron Rothschild was about to visit New Zealand, and be the guest of Sir Julius Vogel, appears to have vanished from the brain of the least imaginative. The Rothschilds are, in sober truth, likely to button their pockets while i?ir Julius has taken, refuge in the Civil Service from the storms and perils of a political life, based upon borrowing money. The Legislative Council will, it is to be expected as heretofore, swallow aay bolus prepared by Ministers. On a late Saturday Councillors showed what calibre they were composed of. On Friday the Lower House passed, late at night, after a sharp struggle, a second Imprest Supply Bill for a quarter of a million, making in all advanced this session three quarters of a million. As some of this second advance was needed to send by the outgoing mail of Sunday the Upper House were especially summoned for Saturday, and the words of their notice were that they were to meet to pass an Imprest Supply Bill. They did meet, and tbey did pass the Bill, as they were told, without a word. For what doe« such 9 House exist if it

is not tc exercise a little caution and foresight ? lu like manner the Coun-t-ill will pass the Loan Bill bo soon as they are told they must do bo. What effect upon our securities will the fact have when known that we have asked and failed to obtain a loan. It seems to us that it would be better to pull up at once, and to take stock of oar liabilities. So long as we can borrow, the poverty and limited resources of the lesser Provinces are kept out of sight. The moment all hands begin to borrew the weaker become absorbed in the operations of the greater. When, however, ao portion of the Colony can. borrow money except on specific securities, the estate of the Province would not be traded upon for the exigencies of another. Probably the best thing for New Zealand would be that she should be unable to borrow, diich a fact would open the eyes of the people of Otago and Canterbury as to what Abolition really means.