Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1890.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 480, 14 June 1890, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1890.

' ThUaboTO all—to thine own self bo true, &nd it mast follow m the night the day Thou cauet not then be false to any man.* SnAKKSPKARE.

In o>ur issue of Saturday l ist we referred ■ to the great need of united action on the part of fclio electors with a view to securing the return of a candidate at the next general election, who can ho thoroughly relied upon to forward the interests of this constituency as a whole, so far as.ho can do so consistently with tlio just administration of Government. United, act ion .should be taken in every electorate with a similar object in view; and to this end the establishment of •Ileforpi' Leugms (or associations, called by-any other name) is most desirable. To those wlio carefully read the signs of the times it must ho obvious that the borrowing mania still exists to a fnr greater extent than many suppose. It has been only suppressed for a time through sheer force of circumstances, but will undoubtedly again make itself felt throughout the Colony on the first opportunity xmsideted Borrowing is a disease that once it has taken deep root, is exceedingly difficult to eradicate ; and if New Zealand is to l«? saved from another* plunge * —from the vortex from which it has but so recently had suoh a narrow escape, there must be organised means of resistance. Tlu “public works** cry is agtin making itself heard In vaiious inteiested quarters, but it is sincerely to be hoped the common souse of all true hearted colonists will reject the suggestions so insiduonsly being made by those anxious for another period of squandering borrowed millions. New Zealand lias already paid dearly for artificial prosperity. It may suit Some no doubt ; but for those who have the true welfare of the Colony at heart, and have determined to make it their home, production and the development of our natural resources should be the object kept steadily in view. The utterances of the Minister of Public Works in his recent most singular speech, ns regards the probable attitude to he taken up by the Ministry with respect to local bodies debts, their suggested conversion, etc., contain an ominous warning. The default made by the New Plymouth Harbour Board is apparently only the commencement of a series of somewhat similar difficulties amongst other impeounious local bodies. Threats have been already made by other harbour boards of what they will do if the Government do not come to their assistance ; and if there is the smallest sign of yielding to Buch threats on the part of Government, probably other harbour boards will follow suit, and then other local bodies by the score would be seeking to shunt their liabilities on to the Government. Any and every attempt to make Government responsible to the bondholders for the existing liabilities of the local bodies, amounting to some five millions (whether by the conversion of local bodies loans by the Government, or otherwise), should be peremptorily refused. For Government to borrow money anJ lend it to local bodies fi.e., future loans), under carefully defined conditions which would secure the Colony against loss, would be a very different thing, and deserves careful consideration. But in the post we know how wildly local bodies have borrowed on their own account, and how foolishly much of the money so borrowed has been expended, and for Government to now become responsible to the bond holders nt this stage, would be folly indeed. Between now and the general election there is ample time for the electors to organise, to a good purpose. One great advantage of the enlarged electorates will be that with many diverse interests a member will, as a matter of course, be less imbued with the spirit of ‘localism’ than has been the case in the past. With the smaller districts (as at present), it was frequently incurobeut on a member in order to retain his seat, to secure some large vote of the public funds.for somework for the special and sole benefit (whilst the expenditure lasted) of the district he represented. With enlarged districts things of this kind will, now not have so much weight, and it may reasonably be hoped members will show greater desire to legislate more for the good of the Colony as a whole.