The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1886. THE GERALDINE TOWN BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1468, 16 February 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1886. THE GERALDINE TOWN BOARD.

Wb publish in another column a letter commenting on the actions of the Geraldine Town Board. We do not desire to pose as an apologist for the Board-—they, no doubt, are able to take care of themselves— but there is a statement in the letter refeired to which is calculated to mislead the public, and consequently we think it is our duty to give our readers a true idea of the position of affairs. The Board is accused of levying a rate, notwithstanding that when it was suggested to call the Board into existence it was said that rates would not be wanted. The Board should not be held accountable now for any wild statements made by irresponsible persons before the town was declared a Town District. The Board have good grounds for levying a rate at present, and if they did not do so they would ha neglecting their duty. By the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Act passed last session, the Board is entitled to receive from the Government this year 10s for every £1 they shall raise by means of a rate, and, unless the Act is repealed, they will be entitled to receive £ for every £ of rates collected next year. The position of the Board, therefore is this : if they did not strike a rate this year the Town would lose this year’s and next year’s subsidy. They would lose this year’s subsidy, only that a provision is inserted in the above Act giving the Governor in-Council power to decide the amount that ought to be given to a new district where a rale has not hitherto been struck ; but the Governor would not have power to do that next year, and the Board would receive no subsidy. Supposing the rates of Geraldine amount to £IOO, the subsidy which the Board would be entitled to receive from the Government for this and next year would be £l5O. If the Board did not strike a rate, all this would be lost to the town. Common sense will show any one that it is better for the people of Geraldine to pay rates now—and thus secure the Government subsidy and swell the Town Board funds—than to pay no rates, and lose the subsidy. By paying a small rite now, and securing the subsidy, they vyill be putting by something for a rainy day, and that will lighten taxation for them in years to come. If they do not pay rates now, and secure the Government subsidy, they will have to pay double when the subsidy is discontinued. Under these circumstances we think the Board would have neglected their duly (o an unpardonable extent, and would not be deserving of the confidence of the ratepayers, if they did not levy a rate to secure the Government subsidy. Besides, there is no hardship inflicted on the people through having to pay a rate, because if the Town Board were not in existence, they would have to pay rates to the Road .Board, With regard to abolishing the Board we do not think that it is possible to do so withextraordinary trouble. There is no provisions that we know of under which the Board could be abolished,and even if there were, we feel confident the Road Board would not take the town back under its protection now. The Road Board has had enough of it. The people of Geraldine may as well, therefore, settledown calmly and quietly, and put the best men they oan find on the Board, Next session the Municipal Corporations Act will be passed, and under it Geraldine will be proclaimed a Borough. They will then have their Mayor and Councillors, they will have extended powers, and it will be their own fault if they elect men who will not attend to their business properly

LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES. In commenting on the proposal that Liberal and Conservatives should corn* bine together for the purpose of crushing the Parndlites recently, wo stated that it would be just as reasonable to expect that the lion and the lamb would sleep peacefully side by side, as that the two great political parties in England would forget all their old feuds, bates, and dislikes, and combine together for any purpose whatever. Bv I the last mail we have received papers which prove that we gauged the position accurately. Recently a Mr Prank Miles, of Kelsterton, Flintshire, submitted toMr Gladstone a scheme for crushing the Irish members. He proposed that 40 Liberals and 40 Conservatives should combine together to vote always with the view of neutralising the Irish vote; that is, that 80 members should he set aside for the purpose of crushing Mr Parnell. Mr Gladstone, however, found it would not do, and his son, Mr Herbert Gladstone, M.P,, wrote in reply to Mr Miles as follows ; Hawarden Castle, Dec. 8. Sir,— Forty members from each side would not be found to vote us you propose, and, in fact, the conditions of Parliamentary life, as the methods of transacting business, would not allow it. There will be no peace at Westminster until English parties will consent to apply constitutional principles to Ireland, and give up the useless attempt to govern Ireland without (considering the Irish people. Tories and Liberals collectively will not un>te to put down eightyfive members fresh from Irish constituencies, who, in a perfectly consistent manner, ask to be allowed to manage Irish affairs without impairing the supremacy of the Crown and imperial Parliament. Nothing could induce me to countenance separation; but if fivesixths of the Irish people wish to have a Parliament in Dublin for the management of their own local affairs, I say, in the name of justice and wisdom let them have it.—Yours very faithfully, Herbrht Gladstone, This is the opinion of Mr Gladstone’s son, and very likely Mr Gladstone’s own opinion too. Then if there is to “be no peace at Westminster until English parties will consent to apply constitutional principles to Ireland,” why should the applications of these principles be delayed ? Coming from Mr Gladstone, junior, who is evidently under the teutelage of Mr Gladstone, senior, at Hawarden Castle, the residence of the latter, this letter is invaluable to Home Rulers. Mr Herbert Gladstone has always been a Home Ruler, and ho has always been elected. So has every English member who has had the honesty and courage to declare in its favor. Mr Cowan has made English electors cry “ shame ” on the British Government for their treatment of Ireland, and has always been elected ; Mr Labouchere, Mr Storey, Mr Jesse Ceilings, and a few others who have always fought hard for Mr Parnell and Ireland, have never been defeated at an election, This proves that English electors, if the question of Home Rule were submitted to them, would vote for it. It is not the English electors, but the English landlords, who are keeping Home Rule from Ireland ; but their power is waning fast, and it is just possible that the paesent Parliament will cripple it considerably. In reference to the riots in London recently, we said that they were only the forerunners of other riots, and we find that in this also we were quite correct. At Leicester similar riots have taken place; a great deal of damage has been done to property, and so violent and numerous were the rioters that the police were unable to cope with them. The hard limes are telling upon the poor British workman ; he has borne it patiently and quietly, but it is evident he means to protest against existing inequalities. He has now a vote, and the probabilities are that he will not continue to give it to landlords long.