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Tbb action taken by the Legislative Council last night in throwing out all the loan clauses in the Counties Bill can only be characterised as positively mischievous. It is utterly impossible for the counties scheme to be workable deprived aa they’ will be of the sinews of war. The Hon. Colonel Whitmore, who

moved the excision 'of the clauses, made a ' strong - point in dating that' similar powert had been denied to the,provincial authorities, but his arguitente'.were m6et satisfactorily refuted 'by the Hon. Dr. Pollen, who pointed out that if the hon. gentleman a proposal was carried, it would virtually rob the people of the right of taring themselves for reproductive works. The arguments of some hon. members in support of their, proposals were truly unique. The Hon. Mr. Hohnes informed the House, with the utmost gravity, that shearers were positively asking 20s per hundred. This was a fact from which theyshould all take warning, for it clearly showed that there was a scarcity of labor. If they gave borrowing powers to the counties, new works would be coiuraeuced, and they would have another competitor to contend against in the labor market which could only result in higher wages than at present. Therefore the county corporations—bodies without souls must be deprived of life even by being refused borrowing powers. The Hon. Mr. Holmes argues from a personal point of view, so it is hardly fair to expect his reasoning faculties to be of a high order, or his knowledge of political economy to be particularly profound; but that a deliberative assembly should accept such twaddle as logical reason, and support it on a vote by a considerable majority, is almost incredible. The Hon. Mr. Robinson also distinguished himself on the labor question, echoing his brother squatter s views on the necessity of keeping wages down, although what that has to do with the question of a body corporate’s power to borrow from any lender who may be wise or foolish enough to accept its security, we have yet to learn. We can only hope that the strong common _ sense which we know to exist in the Council as a body will rescue them from the error they have committed in acting on logic and advice of a decidedly curious character, and rendering abortive a measure Which would have given to the people of New Zealand a real system of local self-government. The Council might, without objection, have deprived the county councils of general borrowing powers, but not of the special powers which involved direct sanction of the ratepayers for any loan, and thereby give proper security against heedless or irresponsible borrowing, ,

We are authorised to contradict some ridicuIdus remarks published last night, having for their foundation an absurd assumption that the majority of Ministers during the recess will act as Resident Government Agents in what have been hitherto the large provinces. At the time a Ministry was formed, with a political Attorney-General (Mr. Whitaker), it was stated that this Minister would of course reside during the recess in the place where he was accustomed to exercise his profession. It is obvious that in the case of an Attorney-General it would be nonsense to expect a legal gentleman to abandon his business in order to reside in permanence in Wellington. But in the cases of the other Ministers the simple fact is that, as heretofore, they will reside in Wellington. where the public business of the colony demands they should be throughout the greater portion of the year. It is needless to state, under these circumstances, that the virtuous indignation expended on the imaginary nonresidence of Ministers in Wellington may be recalled. ■

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18761017.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4858, 17 October 1876, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
611

Untitled New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4858, 17 October 1876, Page 2

Untitled New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4858, 17 October 1876, Page 2

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