The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1716, 5 July 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

hqual .md evict justice to all men, Ot wh.itsoexci state or persuasion, religious or pohtK il Hito sliall the Press the People's mill* imint.iin, Un.iwcd bv inllucncc <md uiiliriln d by ij.un

Til URSDA Y JUL YJ, ISS3.

Tjik Public Works Statement, delivered on Tuesday, is a plainer and more matter-of-fact document even than Major Atkinson's budget. It possesses, moreover, the advantage of being shorter, and, as it contains fewer figures, is somewhat pleasanter reading than the Treasurer's Statement. The precis "which we print in another parfc of this issue, will give a sufficiently clear idea of the contents of the Statement, and it i& not necessary, therefore, to go into d^ taiks in this place. There are just three things which strike us, on a perusal of the Statement, as worthy of special comment. The first of these; is the proposed addition to the Cabinet of a Minister for Railways; the second is the proposal to make lands benefited by railways pay a fair proportion of the cost of construction thereof, and the third is the absence of any definite information respecting the North Island Trunk Line. It is pretty certain that the proposal for the creation of a new portfolio will not meet with the unanimous approval of the House. In the first place, there is a general feeling that the number of ministers is large enough already, and in the .second place, it is the no less general opinion that the present system of railway control is defective, and that, the sooner the railways are placed on a commercial footing the better. Such an object can best be achieved by putting the management in the hands of local boards ; the appointment of a new minister would tend to perpetuate the present system. Bui tho opposition this proposal will conjure up will fade into insignificance before the storm which will break forth when tho question of taxing lands improved hy railways comes on for consideration. TJw* principle embraced by the Governiaeft^ namely, that those who are enriched by the expenditure of public money should return a percentage of the unearned iweuient to the colonial coffers, is eminently a just one. But it^ h a principle which must bo applied to all or none. Unfortunately the Government propose that it shall only apply prosp^tivoly; that is to say, tlioso avlio in the future may derive any material advantage from the construction of a line of railway through ov near their property, will be called upon to pay for the boon, while all those who have been similarly benefited in the past are to be left in the secure enjoyment of their (in the opinion of the State) ill-gotten gains. , , There is

an alternative plan put forward, by which the Government would becomo possessors of lands through which the lines are to run at the property tax valuation, such lands to be sold subsequently, when the lino is made, at their enhanced value to small farmers. The Minister admits that the latter scheme ib impracticable; Sir George Grey denounces the former 'as mon.strou.sly unjust. Be it so. But if the principle of rating lands improved by the propinquity of railways, which was affirmed by the House last session, is to be put into practice, wo cannot see how in justice it is to be given a retrospective effect. Much of the land already favoured has been disposed of by the original holders at its enhanced value, so that a general rate could not in fairness be levied. If the beneficiaries could be got at, and made to disgorge, there would be some sense in the proceeding, but this being out of the question, is it right to make flesh of the lucky ones of the past, and fish of their fellows in the future 1 The Government say implicitly that it is ; Sir George Grey avers explicitly tbat it is not. We do not anticipate that Government will press the question this session, but if they do there is no telling what the result may bo. The absence of any proposals touching the North Island Trunk Railway is, of course, matter for regret, though, regarding the whole of the circumstances, it was scarcely to be expected that any definite steps could be taken this year. Our relations with the natives have greatly improved of late, bub there are &till some rough places to be made smooth befoje we shall be able, by peaceful means, to obtain the concessions we require. "We must be patient and persevere