The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1880.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 492, 18 February 1880, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1880.

Oxs of the papers laid before Parliament ’.luring ihe last session si wren up some old jealousies, xml seemed like a piece of special pleading for the rich against the poor, ami for the strong against the weak. It had reference to the amount of loan expendilme in each Province, or piovincial District; and also set both what proportion of the whole each Provincial District would have brum entitled to on the basis of population and revenue. As tin; tubulated statement is interesting in itself, and is necessary ior reference in the present article, we n> produce it— Statement ‘bowing 'he Contribuiionu to Revenue (exclusive of Land dales) from each rrovfaci-at District during the Financial Year 18V3-7D ; .also the Proportion of Loan Expenditure to which each District would be emitted on the ba'i.i of such Revenue, at compared with the Actual Expenditure in each District. =» The contrihaiion-i to revenue are those no:na’ly collected in each Provincial District, except in the c.a-e of Canons Dade; and rinveps. which are allocated to the -cveral districts on the basis of their population.

One oi the rcasoue for bringing down this statement was that stmio justification was required for giving some special favor to Am. Ida ml, us a ’•award for the political perfidy of the famous quartette. And a ft-i* all the noise and dust it

tabm, that .Auckland was wuij treated as compared with Canterbury, which was supposed to have been the potted and indulged of all Governments. The New Zealander goes so fur us to say that the return is not accurate, and proceeds thus ; —•' Wc have, taken some, trouble in getting at the truth of the position, und hv duly .allowing for advances by Treasury Bills on account of iaml fund, advances made under the Provincial Public Works Advances Act, and other items, we find thur Auckland is only £1 500 under proportion instead of £144,118; Taranaki is £ 145,3 1:1 in excess, instead of £157,500; Hawke’s Bay is £ 189,530 in excess, instead of £220,318; Nelson is £-15.811 under proportion, instead of being'- £1,285 in excess : Mari borough's account is ulsn under proportion by soma £36,000 ; whilst Canterbury’s position is improved, there being about £ 1,000, Out) to her credit, instead of £845,847. On the other hum!, Westland has to be debited with nearly £360,UU0, instead of £2'.)0,175; and Otago cornea out worst or all, tor, instead of £141,966 to her credit, she is in d-bt £37,681. Lastly. Wellington’s position is improved by over £ 100,030, her excess bong about £ instead of £537.899.” Cm' of the greatest funks of ’he return obviously is that it docs not include the old Provincial debts which me now taken over and paid for by the colony. If the Provincial debts had been placed in the tabic we have no doubt they would a tale onfoid what m cleverly masked in the table as it lew stands. These injured Piovin.-ial Districts, which appear ‘to have fallen far short of their due proportion in the. expenditure of th • loans raised bv the colony ms a whole, were, in tit? good £d '.av. jid.•’ tt'. l.o'Ti:*iT:-rr or.

their own account. They had oaten a very large slice of their cake before tne xVel came in force, and now they cry because they were not allowed to cat il' over again at the expense of the unified colony. There is, however, a still stronger point to be urged against the gratification of the loan hanger of boiiio of the great Provincial Districts, especially of those tliree which in the above t;il*!o appear to have come short of their just share. We may remar!:, by way of parenthesis, that Wellington, the Province that has overdrawn most, has- included in its expenditure immense sums for Government. House, Houses of Parliament, Government. Buildings, Ministerial Residences anti the like, which tire really the property of the colony. Bat to re! urn to the point we woa‘d urge again the claims of the other three great Piovinces, •nam'dy, thru timy have sold, given away, or allowed themselves to he swindled rut of nearly ihe whole of their valuable land. In tin- old Provincial days they enjoy-! the whole benefit, of the sale oi the public estate within their own boundaries, ami since the Abolition they have had their full twenty per cent. of the same source of revenue. If we compare with this the case of Taranaki, w- find that a very large p’oportion of her most valuable laud remains unsold, remains, in fact, as colonial capital, to he drawn upon .almost at pleasure. These lands will realise prices fur in excess of what other lands have been sold for, and, were it not for the all-devouring, whirlpool harbor at Mew Plymouth, as far as this County is oone.-rn <l, ninety dive per cent, of the proceeds would become Colonial revenue. If, therefore, after taking the Provincial debts into account, it should still appear that this Provincial District has had more than its share, the unsold land will shift the balance far to the other side. Although, therefore, wo are not in a position to say that this Provincial District ims not received more than a proportionate share of the colonial loans, we are confident thatlimre are circumstances peculiar to the case of tins District, which, when fairly considered, show that it has experienced niggardly, rather (Pan lavish consideration at the hands of Parliament. Thu argument is particularly strong in the case of this etui of the District, where there are no railways, and very few roads, and where we are not even allowed to have onr own money to make them. It should also be borne in mind that a wise and just Government should not ouiv endeavor to equalise taxation and expenditure, but also the difficulties of nature, and of circumstances. If one part of the colony, the prosperity »md progress of every part of which is essential to the prosuerity and progress of the whole, can make a mile of road, or of railway, for half what another part can make it for, it is evident that money should be apportioned with scene reference to that fact, and not with refer.mce to population ami revenue alou j. Or again, if one part of the colony has a difficulty in obtaining possession of its waste lands, and, therefore, in settling them, surely j this fact also should temper the stern h'gic of figures. Biu it will he answered

—“ The logic is tempered, un i enormous votes 1 1 a.vc* been passed for this District; why, therefore, complain ?” We urn not complaining, we are only justifying what has been none, ami, at the same time, arguing indirectly against iis being undone. For we cannot shut onr eyes to Ihe fact that in the. matter of the ruiiwiy irm Government are making haste slowly. The contracts let since the prorogation of Parliament amount only to a few t konst: n 1 pounds, and there is no prospect of anyt’nim-r on a large scale being done before Parliament again in-ets. When it meets, our sph-ndid votes will lapse, and may again be scrambled for lay rats,” and Distinct .Railway” speculators. The end may be that next Parliament will leave ns with about ton per cent, of the iiiio sop that its predecessor threw us.

Provincial District. Population 80. h kept., 1871) Revenue on bads as above. Loan Exp In proportion to Ecveiu’.o. ciuliUne. Actual Expenditure & Liabilities to Sept. 80, 7!). In excess or proportion. Undor proporliou. X a X £ X Auckland 88,450 869 730 2.42i).5‘!3 2,205,5:10 144.118 Taranaki 10,11!) -12,131 278.000 435.500 157,509 ’.VoUinylmi 5(1. 138 277.il n I, Si; 1,800 2,8(1;). bill) 52?.3;>9 Hawke’.-; llay - Ki,:io:s 32.520 55 1 ,4 2 9 7 Vi, o'. 7 2_0.8i3 Nel.-oa - 26.537 122,201) 305, 81)1 807,676 i ,235 Marlborough - 8,028 86.935 241,014 240.780 5.745 URiitei-imry 101,2:5 548.020 8,53:1.09 5 2,787.245 815,817 Westland 17.210 71.1.332 527 On 8 7116.278 209.1/5 Otago 127,253 c(io,:;2u 4,401), 883 4,267.917 141,966 •151, 253 2,22;; ; -ii;8 14,671,458 14,671,458 1,181,981 1,181,981