LOCAL FINANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 531, 2 August 1880, Page 2

LOCAL FINANCE.

[To the Editor of the Wimmpi Dailt.] 1 Sir,—Tie Colonial Treasurar, in the 1 portion of his Financial Statement rela- - ting to the scheme of local finance states; i "I may, however, point out that'the 1 system of subsidies hw operated un- ] equally; it has largely helped the rich and populous districts, while giving little 1 assistance to those which are poor and j thinly populated," : The question that arises in one'B.mind is, Will not the new : plan, as enunoiated by the Treasurer, tend in exactly the shme direction as the ■old system of paying subsidies. If the new Bcheme ia not a repetition , of paying subsidies; but in a roundabout way, it is | difficult to understand what it really is. ' Under the old plan, for every £i raised n locally £1 was given by the Go.vlsrnment j under the new proposals, instead of £l, £3 will be given for every £l, which will I assuredly help the; rioh and populous districts in no slight' measure. It will be a " splendid arrangement for Road Boards, : for instance in the Canterbury- Provincial j District, which have banked aubsidiea to the tune of some £300,000, :to receive £3 a for every pound, they posßeia.. ,; The kind- . ness of allowing local bodies to rate them-' selves to the amount of 2s in .the £ will be duly appreciated no doubt, equally • with that of the Colony piying. rates on 1 the native lands." The principle that -J native lands should pay rates is but when it appears' that we, the people - a td(p»y}the;mbneyyit. * r ,becomei jtn ,i farce, moreover, .whioH between thFEuro-''

natives under various Acts has become nauseous, and there is no necessity to perpetuate bad, and if carried too far, 1 dangerous precedents, by making us pay rates on nalive land, under the delusion that the money is not coming out of our own purses. The Bill for Sale of Natiye Lands provides for reductions re surveys, &0., but there is nothing specified to- re- ,-■> iinburse the Colony for enhanoing the . value of their lands. It is an admitted fact that our mis-spent millions have ' added to the value of the native lands; -p, such being the case, the native owners, upon sale of their land, should in all fairness be made return some modicum of cash (as representing a portion of the Tenhanced value) to the source from Ml whence the enhanced value emanated. Many persons argue that the principle ,0 ' of taxing Grown land is good; as settlers' should not be rated to improve the value of Crown land, but as in any case, sooner or later, the setters as a whole find the money, directly or indirectly, by taxation to do, the principal savors of a delusion. Settlers would not mind enhancing the value of Crown land, provided the increased value was not dissipated and misspent after reaching the Government coffers. The whole of our labor and taxes in the Colony means enhanced value to Crown land, i.e., if the taxes are not ge ' frittered away in abortive and non-pro- an ductive schemes. Let the money accru- oh ing from land sales be put to its legitimate y use—the opening up of' partially settled and unsettled districts—and there will be » little or no outcry about the extra: value of Crown lands. The more revenue it returns the better will be the means of communication, and therefore the greater contentment and prosperity of the producers of the Colony. If in all districts the amount of Crown II Lands was equal in value, the road requirements being also equally great or small, then mii»ht the new Bcheme of local finance do; but as such is not, nor cannot be the case, it is exceedingly doubtful if & it will be found workable. Some Counties and Road Districts may have little Crown and native lands, arid great obstacles to road formation from physical 01 features.. Others may be in quite an opposite position. Would it net be more commendable for the Government to first find out the actual requirements of various f localities before making a cast-iron, rule r re granting aid 1 If a district is, from its . natural features, easy of access, and its 19 population numerous, little or no assistance need be given direct from the Government. It, on the other hand, the 0 f conformation of a district is such as to entail excessive expenditure in roadmaking and maintenance, its population being scattered, then should a helping hand be stretched out, I venture to assert if this had been done formerly there would not now be so muoh money idle in the - hands of the Canterbury Road Boards. Though Commissions are not my beau ideal of Government institutions, still I ' think one might with advantage be appointed to enquire into the requirements, ® and physical features of the various Road Districts of the colony before: any Act regulating local finance is passed, In the' interim the subsidies might be continuod, 1 except to local bodies having tens of thou- j sands to their.-oredit in the Banks, ••;,i....1am, &c., ' cvgrthmhuk( |. • c!

[To the Editor of the: Wairarata Dailt] • SiR,-rrAa there .is an evident mistake in theiocal columns of your issue of the 29th inst., respecting.the working average of the Greytown. School, I would be glad if you will rectify the error. I do. not know from whom your information was obtained, nor, how 1 the ;error,occurred, but the following is the exact working & - average for the past year, ending SOfch 5 June, 1880, and which can be verified at jf, any time. • I give the average for the quarters:—3oth Sep. 1879, 148; 31st Dec., 1879,193; 31st March, 1880, 203; - 30th June, 209 ; which gives a working average for the year of; 188, and ihows a gradual increase each quarter. The matter is no more important than that wC 1 like our due share of oredit for our town- -j ship, and your statement showing us the jj lowest average when it should be the 5 second highest has caused me to trouble- i* y° u ', * lam, &c,, W. Bock. [Our return was taken from the official 1 .-■' report of the .Minister of Education, and is quite correct.—Ed. W.D.j 1

Remtkisbscbs os Wellington,-In the year 1845 a worthy citizen plodded his way with some difficulty through fern and ti-tree to Te Aro Flat, being in search of the euf* I veyor's peg which had. been driven in at the corner of what is now Cuba "and Dixon-• streets, Upon this spot was erected a small f house, in which a very successful drapery business was carried on by two ladies of A remarkable talent and '• energy, who have 0 long siuce retired from the scene to the land K of their birth- a] "Land o'the mountain and the flood, B< Land of brown heath and shaggy wood," In the year.lß66 it passed into the hands of Mr Jamks Smith, the present, proprietor, who gave to the premises the . appropriate nameofTeAro House, and under whose management-business- has steadily progressed with the rising fortunes of-the city, until at length it was found that a considerable enlargement was necessary, and the result was, Te Aro House, as at present, ® one of the -most, complete and Extensive Drapery. Establishments in the colony of New Zealand,. The Jeneral Drapery occupies a large space, being 49 feet by 25 feet, amply sufficient for all Manchester/goods, Fancy Dresses, Silts, Gloves, Hosiery, Eibbons, Laces, &o. The Men's, Boy's, and Youth's' Clothing Department measures 42 feet by 14 feet, and has attached ■& comf n rtr able sitting-room, Carpets and Household furnishings have a similar space alloted to them, The Show-room for the sale of Mil-' ® linery, Mantles, Jackets,, Costumes, &c. r is 6! a very spacioua apartment,' elegantly fitted " up, and beautifully lighted torn the roof, 1 and measures 89 feet by 22 feet. The stock of goods is at all times large and well' a ! selected; and : patterns are forwarded post 0 free on application, A special, feature at Te Aro Heuse is the Order Department; and ~ very careful attention is paid to the wants ■ } of Country Residents. All orders arcerecu ted under the immediate supervision ef the pro- w prietor. and securely packed aiad forwarded t > their destination with that promptness ' and despatch which have always diitin- re guished Te Aro House, Cuba-street, Welliiig- M ton.—[advt.] .. ft ——— k