Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 25, 1881.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 97, 25 April 1881, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, APRIL 25, 1881.

Sefeuence has been made by more than one of the members of the House of Representatives who have recently addressed their constituents to the question of local government, and from their speeches as well as from paragraphs which occasionally appear in the papers, . it would almost appear that there is still a hankeriog after Ihe old provincial institutions, or at least something skin to them, though perhaps in a modified form. The latest to touch upon the subject is Mr Ormond, to whose views, as a leading member io the Houße of Representatives, some importance is to be attached. He is reported to have said :— "Absolutely no provision was made for the two forms of local bodies, counties, and road boards, who were engaged in exactly the same work their functions being little else but road making and assisting charitable aid — there their duties ceased. When the subsidies ceased they had barely enough to subsist on "with the rates they could raise. The country would soon find they could not afford to waste governing power by having two bodies to do the same work. He believed that the Road Boards would eventually have charge of roads. Major Atkinson proposed to distribute funds to the local bodies by an official board at Wellington, but that would not be satisfactory, as the board could not have sufficient knowledge of local wants. There was general dissatisfaction with the want of local government. Last session he spoke from the conclusion he had come to on this subject. He had helped to work the abolition of provinces, and still thought that to a certain extent the extravagance and grab-all policy of some provinces justified it, but he now thought that in working abolition they made a great mistake: they ought to have amended the then existing system so as to make it more useful instead of abolishing it. He believed they would have to recur to $ similar system, but modified. There were many subjects which could well be handed over to local boards of works. To such hoards might be entrusted waste lands administration and the charge of charitable aid. The settlement of the country would also have to ho carried out under local authority. He believed this matter would soon become one of the leading questions in tin colony. It waß daily more aud more enforcing itself on the a'tontion of the people." One thing is quite clear, that the idea that, with the extinction of Provincialism, local jealousies "would ceaße has proved an entirely fallacious one. They exist now as strongly as ever they did. They owed their being to the Provincial system; but they certainly have aofc perished with their creator. One power ful argument against the old institutions is thus disposed of. The unsuccess of the County system, patent as it is to all, is not a source of regret to those who sigh for a return to the old order of things. Mass was celebrated in the morning at 8 o'clock, and there was the usual evening service at the Convent Chapel yesterday. The building was closely filled, and the musical parti of the services, which were entirely undertaken by the Sisters, were very admirable. After mass the Rev. Father Mahoney referred to the fire, and said Father Garin felt very grateful to those friends who had assisted in repairiug their heavy losses. Thanks were especially due to many of their Protestant friends, who had most liberally Jjelned them in their hour of need; and. b,g ,

exho rted his hearera never to forget what had been done for them, and to remember that it was their duty to render help to those of other denominations should they unfortuDately require it. Some persons had said the Church ought to have been insured. Well, he thought bo too, but the fact waß that there were so many buildings and Father Garin'a income wjb so limited, that he could not afl'ord to insure them. He hoped, however, that the congregation would take the matter in hand and provide a fund for paying the preminuiH. It had reeu a great grief to Father Gaiin to contemplate the loss of the Church, the beautiful vestments, and sacred vessels, which he had accumulated by years of patient self-denial and personal economy fcr the benefit of his flock, but he had been much cheered by the kind sympathy ho had received. The reverend gentleman concluded by announcing that the Very Itev. J. Yardin, Vicar-General of the Diocese, was coming to Nelson this week for a time, so that they would not be Without service 1 ? during his (Father Mahouey's) absence at Tsikaka, &c An advertisement else.where announces the appearance ou Saturday Dext of Cristofaui's monster exhibition of waxworks, highly colored illustrations of which have adorned the blank walla in the town for the last day or two. Attention is directed to the sales advertised by Mr Mabiu for to-morrow and Wednesday. That on the latter day comprises the plant, horses, &c> belonging to Prestidge Brothers' saw mill at Takaka. The Lady Barkly's time table having been specially arranged for the occasion, iint ending purchusera will be able to leave here at 5 p.m. to-morrow, and return to town on Thursday. The following statements with regard to the finances of the colony are from the iW of Friday : — lt will probably be still some days befoie the complete returns of the last financial year are got at, but a general idea has been arrived Rfc in regard to most of the individual items. We stated sdme time back that the Customs, the most important item of all, had realised nearly £GO,OOO above the Colonial Treasurer's estimate. We believe the actual excess is about £57,000, which would bring the receipts for the year UDder that head to some jei,SOf,OOO. We also mentioned that the land, stamps, and postal revenue were all well above tbe estimates, and we now understand tbat the land revenue is about £99,000 over tbe estimates, ttamps, (mc uding deeds, registry, &c.,) .#7400 above, and postal revenue about £6000 feo tue good. This last department is in the uuprecedentedly favorable position of having receipts of some £2d,000 in excess of its expenditure. All these results of course are exceedingly satisfactory. On the other hand there are several branches of revenue whrch have fallen more or less Bhoit of expectation. It is understood that the railway returns for March have not altogether borne out the sanguine anticipations entertained a week or two ago, and based upon the enormous grain traffic of that month in the South Island. It is now believed that the grose railway receipts for the financial yehr ended 31st ult. Yvhl be found not to exceed £840,000, which is £110.000 under the original estimate of the last Budget. Against this, however, may be set the encouraging fact that the expenditure has been so largely reduced that the legitimate not profit is likely to equal fully 3J per cent, on the actual coat of construction. If the rate o£ profit can be increased from 2j to §\ per cent in a single year's interval, and that year one of exceptional commercial depression and materially diminished traffic, there ia every reason to be hopeful that at no distant date our railways will be entirely self-aupporting, and, instead of a burden on the colony, will be even a source of revenue.