The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1882.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1572, 1 August 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1882.

Equal and exact justice to all men,.-. \, , -. , Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawctl by influence and unbribed by gain.

'Wellington ■, telegrams inform us that Mr Moss has given notice of motion in favor of re-establishing local legislatures—in other words, Provincial institutions. The member for Parncll has long been known to hold most extreme views on the subject of decentralization, but we were hardly prepared to think he would seriously propose such a consummation, and we are forcibly reminded of an old proverb, " Deus vult pudereprius dementat." What object the hon member can expect to attain it is hard to imagine ; he never surely thinks the House will ever discuss the proposition, and if | it is only for the purpose of airing ! his eloquence and giving him an opf portunity for expatiating with sonorous voice, and in glowing terms on the beauties of the defunct system which he proposes to resurrect, we protest against such an attempted waste of public time. When the Government have introduced local government bills, which they have taken every reasonable means to make suitable by obtaining the opinions of the existing local bodies throughout the colony, opinions which we venture to say in not one single instance pointed to the desirability of reestablishing local legislatures, the only object we can assume Mr Moss to have is to unsettle the minds of members when discussing the Government bills, and thus continue the policy of the* late Government of allowing the local bodies to " work out their own salvation," as stated by the late Fafcive Minister. We entirely dissent from this " salvation" theory. It was a very convenient one no doubt for those who did not desire the trouble of undertaking a local government bill, or who were not agreed among themselves as to what form it should take, their minds being so much occupied with great questions for the benefit of future ages that they could not attend to those of the present. But let us remind MrMoss that the times are changed, and Ave with them. The people of New Zealand have pretty plainly expressed their opinion that one Legislature is amply sufficient for the requirements of this colony. We should be sorry to say one word in disparagement of Provinvincial institutions while they were in existence. No doubt they did their duty in their day more econo"mieally than the present county council system, and if they had boen simply administrative, instead of legislative bodies their existence might perhaps have been advantageously prolonged; but ten lawmaking bodies to conduct the affairs of, say, 300,000 people was tho reductio ad ahitrdum, under which mortal patience could not be expected to endure any longer than was absolutely necessary. Therefore we say " let the dead past bury its dead," while we endeavour to keep pace with modern requirements. Perhaps Mr Moss, ever ready to follow his chief with that implicit faith which some people would characterise by a harsher term, has in this instance only anticipated him, and is endeavouring by a side wind to feel the way before him in his attempt to resuscitate " the only system of Government fit for free men to live under." Of course the Ministry would not hesitate for a moment if necessary to stake their existence on the outcome of such a resolution. Whatever may be the motive, we hope the House will at once show the feeling of the country by refusing to waste its time, and negative the motion on the voices without discussion. The local government bills require the best energies of the members, and the painstaking examination of every clause in committee, and when bills so much and for so long required to facilitate the business of road boards are before the House, we do not thank Mr Moss for endeavouring to " draw a. red herring across the scent," and we predict that the only effect of the motion will be to shew that the mover is not in ac-, cordance. with the spirit of the times, and that he cannot yet accept the situation so plainly laid j down in 1876. The same member is singularly unfortunate in another reform which he is attempting to undertake, in the matter of a bill to abolish the law of settlement "and entail of land now! in force in the < colony. If we recollect aright the present Premier introduced a bill in i the last Parliament with this object | in view, and though it was not carried, the Treasurer stated the Government weije.aboUjt, to introduce one during "this sbssibh. ? We'do not suppose that Mr Moss would be guilty of . political plagiarism, but we would suggest,,, that ,he', should trust more to tne fertiiity of his 'own-brain when seeking subjects for reform. " i;; - 1 ; " ' ''<•' '-' ] :' ;^ : '.'

direction across the river as altogether to do away with the very unpleasant cutting on the cast side which now exists. Though it was never formally laid down by.the ..Government that tiie bridge should; he erected according' to these" plans, "still, we believe -that the' grant which the Government gave in aid of the work was given with the understanding that the new bridge was to be of a similar typcto that upon by their own engineer ; and they accordingly gave a proportionate grant. - Mr.HosUmg, the board's engineer, was instructed to proceed with the work, the members of the board naturally thinking he would- adopt the plans approved by the Government and by themselves, and upon which the grant had been obtained. Mr Hosking, however, has proceeded to erect a bridge after the style of, and crossing the river at almost the same place as the old structure. The,board, hearing of. his intention, immediately requested their chairman to call a special meeting to enable them to express their disapproval of this alteration, and also to have the bridge built by contract. Mr Gwynneth, C.E., as a ratepayer, we hear, gave the board notice that if the work on the Karapiro bridge was continued on the present principle he would immediately communicate with the. proper authorities and have the work stopped, on the plea that the ratepayers' money was being frittered away. As will be seen by a telegram in another column, the meeting was held last night,'and after the engineer had explained his reasons the board approved of the alterations proposed by him.