The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1886. THE DISTRICT BOARD MUDDLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2246, 17 March 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1886. THE DISTRICT BOARD MUDDLE.

ilia've. been reaping a harvest latterly ou f > of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, arid yet in spite of numberless consultations, thfi interpretation of its provisions still remains about as clear as mud. Even a well-informed journal like the New Zealand Times gets adrift in discussing its details. In its leader of yesterday,.our Wellington morning contemporary .makes the following remarks:—' ..■■

:. The sum absolutely requited for all purposes was estimated by the Secretary at adra'cthing over £3OOO. To provide for thin the Board took the following course:—First, Mr BUCHANAN, one of the Wairarapa members, proposed that the City of Wellington should be assessed at £2068105. This waß objected toby Messrs WILLIAMS and Spzedt, who urged that all the assessments should be included in one resolution, as all ought to contribute. Mr BUCHANAN professed to agreo with the latter sentiment, but sontended that it would be more convenient to treat the respective .assessments in separata resolutions, The motivo fo; this course of action soon became plain enough, The assessments were proceeded with singly; Wellington City .was assessed at £2068105, Hutt County ai £450, and Horowhenua at £2O. These we,re agreed to as fairly enough representing tho proportionate rate at which ,thoso districts might be expected to contribute. It will be observed that it only provided £253810s out of a sum of over £3OOO required, but there were still to come the large and wealthy districts of Wairarapa. East and West. These miglitreasqnably have been expected to furnish a handsorno e.um, seeing that tho ratable property it valued at £1,372,588 in tho East Wairarapa and at £998,893 in West Wairarapa, or more than two millions and a quarter for the two. Yet wlhq ikt Bttid tastf to tittf MttMtttrtQ to

Counoilß of tließß two rich counties tlic Chairman, himself a "Wairarapa representative, calmly dismissed tho matter by a wave, of bis knd, coolly Btating that tho "Wtvirarapa counties could bo loft to tako caro of themselves. Here, then, was apparently tho manifest purposo of Mr Buchanan's pleasant littlo dovico, in which ho was so skilfully supported by his Chairman, Mr Bunny. Wairarapa was artfully'Blipped'out of all liability, and this, notwithstanding that a considerable aura—£6oo or £7OO at least-still remains to bo provided for, and still remains unprovided for. The clear intention of the Act iB that there shall bo a general fund for tho district contributed to by the wholo district. Obviously this cannot be the caso if a largo proportion of tho district is left wholly unrated. Why were the Wairarapa counties included in tho United District if they were not to bear their fair share of the burden ? Certainly it was not because tho assistances of tho Wairarapa representatives was indispensable for tho due administration of the Act. Judging from their action at the last meeting it is evident their mission is not in aid of working tho Act, butto mako it unworkable. At all events there is plainly no intention of endeavouring to work it fairly. At tho rate at which the Hutt County is assessed tho two Wairarapa Counties should contribute £IOOO bctweon them, Yet tho Hutt is assessed at £450, and tho Wairarapa counties, each having a much larger value of rateable property, at nil I The disproportion is still greater in tho caBO of this city.

The point to which we would call the attention of o«r contemporary is Clause 22 of the Act, which directs Boards, after districts are sub-divided, to " declare what local authorities within the subdivision shall be liable to contribute to the' support of the institutions therein''"'- Our. contemporary desires evidently that the Wairarapa should contribute a thousand pounds towards what it calls in another portion of tho same article, contingencies, viz., legal expenses, a big item, Secretary's salary .in.the Empire City, and travelling exponses of members to the Empire City; but according to the extract we have, quoted from the Act, Wairarapa local-bodies can only be called upon to towards the support of their and,Wellington will hft.ve.to find.money elsewhere for the extravagant .contingencies which are now;rapidly, .accumulating. If, under ;cannot- compel us .^contribute'to tho pool which is to be divided intfie Empire:; City, it surely whether :we are Ini te dor ruit! for - aid. We ;iw^Hld;alßolpoint?out : :that';the Boards ;pdes:-thß:Act;liave no 'powerjto make Ir ; when" our con"tehiporaryire^ i.heing?unrated," : i^-oviarlopk3:-the- fact of the 'lbcal bodiea; : ;-and that po.ll the ..powers ;thatv;l)B : ;;canM . or : : tbaSifc%e; :^ :Vbiiintar^;^^ s pcr.ive piist,:-.;\vhil6. ■ ; W<JJirifctoiv-fiß^ government 'fo^illViffcne^'Wairav aye-. landslntpthelrl^ ; : the!r::oVtf ; ;ure; :: iii.;»i : witliln' our.owricsubidivision ,;■ .Uu t; wft ! :cp.n'6t& ■ilawyjpre.-a^ : \Ve . ;ei; : avM^ pleasure; ;iind ; iJviitthl£cH ;ii'heavy ■-burden^ ■;nne\iw^ ■'•itjiaVd'fi™^ ? there ; caniio;|be ;any;real;ecohomyV ? : We temporary ■f iintl m Welling tra'MOT ■/yag«tiices;.».. ; : -'&^^!£ : '. ■ ■'■, /' ; ' .fev- 5