The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 980, 3 October 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or Dolitical. • * » * * Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by inflnancfi and unbribed hy gain. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1878. The question of local self-Govern-ment administration will form one of the principal matters for the consideration of settlers during the recess. It is altogether unlikely that the Road Board Bill, now before parliament will become law this session, but to a certain extent it will be licked int© shape, if it gets so far as coin mil tee, and then be left over for consideration and suggestions by the members of road boards, county councils and others. There is no doubt bat that some simpler form of local self-government is needed- than the duplex local govern-

ment affonlrd by County Councils and JRoad Boards. County Councils at present have, as yet, thanks to Gavgmjjgaenfc subsidies, nol presented ffPlmferves m their le:ist attractive aspflct to the tfUepayers, that of taxmakers. But, failing a grant form GroVerriment, counties must cease to exercise any useful functions, or, resort to taxation and then landowners and farmers will find themselves placed between tho upper and ueither inillstoaes of taxation. If all the rates ilia' could be levied by "counties, road boards and Government, were levied to the full extent, taxation on land would be most unfair m its incidence what with road board and county rates, and now the land tax. The measure is one which seems to us to be anything but perfect, but capable of bting so amended m its passage through parliament as to become a really useful measure. . In no way, however, can this end be better attained than by 'referring it, during the recess, to country and road board members, for the suggestions! ot practical experience. Parliament, to be sucuessful m its efforts, must feel its way gradually m legislation of this character, and it is, therefore, to be hoped that it will not be .pushed on beyond a certain sta<re m this present session. The principle of the Bill is to make road board legislation uniform, and to harmonz • die county organisation with thai qf the road districts. The two bodies exist now, side by side, without properly defined division of their separate functions. As we nave said, however, the question of double taxation is one which will bring matters to an issue, and there will, we think, be found not a few iwho will advocate the extension of powers to B.bad Boards, m preference to setting up a rival, and often conflicting authority alongside, or, if counties are desirable, that they shall not be elective bodies, but composed of the several Chairmen of groups of, say, six or eight road Doards, to act simply as distributing bodies, bringing to their work an amount of discrimination which could only be the result of local knowledge. One objection has been made to the present Act, by some persons, and that is the plurality of votes which it allows. The new Road Bill seeks to remedy this. The objection is, however, looked upon by very many as one rather of sentiment than of practical mischief, and it may be well argued that the man who pays £20 a-year towards the common fund for the improvement of the distric is entitled to more voice m its administration than he who only pays as many shillings — just as a man who holds a large number of shares m a company has a greater number of votes than the man wtio holds but a few, for, after all, local self-government is but a joint stock association of the public to work for the common interest, where men as individuals would be incapable of doing so. This, however, is merely a detail of the measure, and, like other matters of detail which it contains, will not affect the usefulness of the Bill as a whole, one way or the other. We shall take an early opportunity, after the session is over, of publishing a somewhat full digest of the Bill> to afford our readers the means of forming their own opinions on the matter, for there is little doubt but that Parliament has simply brought it forward tentatively, and for the purpose of placing the subject before the notice of the country with a view to future legislation.