The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1883. TAKING THE RESERVES.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1116, 23 November 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1883. TAKING THE RESERVES.

The true position of the IPatea Harbour Board, as regards its reserves and the power of the Government to resume possession of them, has been made clear by the action of the Wellington Harbour Board. A week or two ago that body received notice from the Government of their intention to take part of the Board’s reclaimed endowment as a site for a new printing office. The Board remonstrated energetically against such a proceeding and demanded compensation. To that demand the Premier replied that the Government were not able, as the law stood, to give the Board any compensation for the land in question, nor to assure them that an equivalent even in land or money would be given ;■ but Government believed, as a matter of policy, that an endowment once given to a public body such as a Harbour Board, should not be taken away without reasonable compensation. In this belief, the Premier said that Government would therefore recommend Parliament to amend the law next session on the subject, «one to enable the rase of the Wellington Harbour Board or any similar ease to be dealt with on its merits. Two things will probably strike our readers. First,

that there is a somewhat “ similar cnee’ in connection with the Patea Harbour Board and the Government ; second, that it has been dealt with in a very different way to that of the Wellington Board. It is considerably over a year since Government took part of the Patea Harbour Board endowment away for the railway work 1 ;. A’ claim for compensation was sent in and elicited the reply that the, matter was “ under consideration.” Time wont on, and, as there was no appearance of a decision being arrived at, the Government were reminded of the claim sent in by the Board. Still the same answer was given that it was “under consideration.” And there it has remained ever since. Probably it would have boon under consideration till Doomsday if the Wellington Board had not had a slice of their land filched from them. They were too powerful, however, to be humbugged, and, in answer to their demand to be compensated, Government took up a new position and said, “It cannot bo done because it is against the law.” Why, we might ask, bus the Patea Board been put off so long with a mere excuse, when, all the time, Government must have known -that- tliey h,ad no power, according to their own admission, to grant any compensation for the land taken. Thanks, however, to the Wellington Harbour Board the law will probably be altered next session, and wc may then hope to receive the money to which we are fairly entitled. And in the interests of local bodirs throughout the Colony it is desirable that such amen lim-nt. should take, place. As the law stands at present Government can lay violent hands upon any of the endowments without fear of having to “ stump up” in return. A seizure of this kind might bo very awkward for a local body that had, perhaps, borrowed largely upon the security of their endowment to winch they would look for revenue to pay the interest of the. loan. With their reserves taken away, local bodies would have to resort to further taxation to meet their engagements, and a hardship would thus have been created. Of course, it is hardly likely that Government would have had the hardihood to go that length ; still they have the power, and that in itself is an unpleasant reflection. Ail local bodies must experience a sense of insecurity under present circumstances, and no doubt will welcome an alteration of the law, by which Government will be prevented from saying, *' What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is my own.”