THE LEGISLATION OF THE PRESENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1879, 22 July 1884, Page 2

THE LEGISLATION OF THE PRESENT.

TO 'JHK KUHOK. 8111. — I have been tax oared with the peiusdl of your report of Mr Whyte's speech and the proceedings at the Waikati nommition yesterday. Tlie sur piising eeleuly and seeming accuiacy could not have been passed, if ex celled, by Hansard, and reflects credit on the stall and resources of your journal, and if Mr Whyte could persuade Parlio, ment to induce The Waikato Times to undertake Hansard, the result would no doubt be greater efficiency with less expense, and it would at the same time be a graceful, not to say giateful, recognition of merit. With much in MrWhyte'd excellent address I heartily concur, (.specially his remarks about Mr Bryce's new policy in dealiug with native lands, which is an entire reveisal of the policy and pretences under which the Government got into office, and the change sufficiently justifies Captain Morris and otheis in refusing to ba dragged in the mire of such Ministerial inconsistency. As Mr Whyte observes, the best condemnation of Mr Bryce's new policy is to be found in his (Mr Biyce's) speech in ISBO, against the sins of the pieceding Ministry, and " by his own words he stands convicted." Experience seems to have brought Mr Whyte and Major Jackson to like conclusions, but judging from MiLake's reported remarks, lie seems never to have thought about the native land question, and can only say he will be implicitly guided by Mr I'kyce, or in finance that he will think whatever Major Atkinson wishes. Mr Wiiyte's experience leads him to disapprove of the mismanagement and meddlesomeness of Government Departments, and I think he agrees with me that the practice first attempted by Sir Julius Vogel to run New Zealand as a general joint stock co-opera-tive trading association, the latest addition being Major Atkinson's national work-house fad, which has not been a success The maxim salus popuh est suprematix has been grossly perverted and abused to crush private competition with Government ventures, and to wrong private rights. That huge incubus, the Government Life Assurance Department, is one instance, and we should feel very proud and comfortable, by recent disclosures, aboutits solvency and satiafactory postion. L.ike the Government Savings Bank, however, it is useful in prqvidii q Government patronage and pocketmoney, though all such money," about £2,000,000, is virtually withdrawn from the trading capital of the farmers and small traders, who would use it usefully and reproductively ; whereas, Government usually fools it away in officialism, for political if not corrupting purposes, and this is one cause of the scarcity of money amongst us for,- legitimate enterprises. I amjpleased to see Mr Whyte condemn the Grown lands administration. ,aqd its proposed extension .to native lands, and his/disapproval' of the land nationalisation WJth, such a burden' of pußlicf- and -private i debt;,; the prudent' 'j^^ps'^S^^^ii^ to

strive by every honest effort to nationalalise the lands, Crown or native, into the simple freehold of the largest possible nunvber of good and improving settlers. Though the price we might receive should bo small, ib would all tend to teducc our Go\ernmcnt indebtedness, aud got rid of those costly white elephants, the Land and Survey Departments. While it would reduce the incidence of taxation by increasing the number of our tax bearers, and would convert into homes and farms an>l factouc, scenes of comfort and sources of wealth vast areas of land, which unimproved are a worthless wilderness, besides adding to our population and firmly attaching to our country and our institutions a great class of small freeholders who would strive to conquer difficulties and build up a sure and Listing national lecoid for industry and patriotism, wiiich could not fail to ensure prosperity and tiue gladness. Such colonists would not flee from debt, taxation, and depression, like birds of passage or persons only camped as leaseholder on the land whom foolish theories would not permit to gain a permanent individual inteiest and settlement in the colony and on its lands. While making the most ample leservatious for public uses, I think that it would be wrong and against the principles of the above policy to endow local bodies with great estates for revenue purposes. There are many districts where theie are no lands for such endowments, and it is not likely the colony would consent to present the land owners in such localities with a cash endowment to unable them to dispense with rates. The cloven hoof of pernicious State interference again appears. It would be picferable that all the property tax should be made local ievenue, and if, as Mr Whyle indicates, the exemptions are abolished, the Property Tax would then be a geneiji rate, and the objection that under the exemption a laige number of persons could impose and spend a tax whic'i others had to pay, would b«) removed, but there would lequue to be a great. I'i'Jorm in local c/orci mncnt, so that local governments could be reduced in number and vanity (which at piesent is legion) They would have to b 1 simplified and consolidated, to be annually and more populaily elected, and thetefore moie under popular contiol, that their functions and fj nance would be as far as possible sepaiate from and m<!«pendant of centralism, without needing permission from the Governor-in-Council to dot their i's and stroke their t's, or being forced by Statute to spend halt their rates m printing, advertising Pailiamentaiy rebnrns and accounts, and tin pro luctive officiating, but in exchange for these advantages the local bodies would have to assume increased responsibilities, amongst which, as in England, they would have to bear a per centage of the cost of erecting and maintaining public buildings, schools, &c , which would then cease to be amongst the baits and bribes for which M H H.s scramble in Wellington. This is the right way to accomplish wpm atton, and on a broad, geneial piinciple confine the Cential Government to its legitimate functions of protecting the lives, lights and propcity of the people, excepting only such things as are essential to our progress, but which ate as yet beyond the power of private enteipuse, and could only be undertaken by the Government. Such, in addition to the functions usual to go\ernments in civilized countries, would be lailwa-ys, and these, Itiust, will be prosecuted with vigour and I'ludcncc. To effect this it would be requisite to follow out my lesolution as to Ci own and native lands being rated the <anie as ptivate lands, and for Local Public Woiks Tiust, which were brought befoie the House in ISSO, and on which Major Atkinson's clumsy aud complicated Crown and Native Lands Rating Act, aud Roads Construction Act were supposed to bo founded. In the first I proposed that the Government, where expedient, should advance for the native the rates, and charge five per cent, mtere&t on such advance, and, failing cash lefund, take lands eventually as repayment, inch land to be used for purposes of settlement, but no native settlements to be taken. But Major Atkinson's Act hat. tins impoitaiit diffeieucc — it says to the native "jou will never have to repay the money so long as you stick to the land and keep out European settlers. The lates from Crown Lauds would be expended to open them for occupation. The Local Public Woiks advances would be made from a fund specially borrowed and placed under a tiust, say the Public Tiustee, the Comptroller-Geneial, and some third independent and responsible l.igh Government officer, to be advanced to local bodies, and be payable in half yearly instalments, together with the interest at 5 per cent, per annum (Government could borrow at much under 5 per cent, to provide for the cost of raising loan and management). The power of the Ti vat would be strictly defined b} Stifcnte. They could not advance moie than a fixed percentage on the value of propeity in a district, and they could only advance on receipt of a memoiial for Joan sigm 1 by a clear majority m number and valr of the ratepayers. It would bo no pait of tlie Ti list's duty to enquiie as to the spending of the loan. That would lest with the ratepayers, who would have the benefit if they spent it well, but who would be compelled to repay it, however they spent it. This would free Parliament from the degrading scramble for roads and bridges, and laise the local bodies to independence by centralism, while at a moderate cost and on business principles without favouritism oi patronage ; it would supply at once the me ins tor needful woiks, and would be saved the hum lij/ing, immoral spectacle ot aspirants to Parliamentary honour, forgetting their duty to New Zealand and public viitue, and flagi-antly boasting as a claim, and a well recognised claim to public merit aid confidence, their capacity or their cunning to steal for their constituents from the public treasury more thau their fair share of the public plunder, and the debasing estimate of a membei'o v. or li would not be " what he has got for his distiict." — I am, &c, War. Arch d. Murray. Piako, July 17th, 1884.

A plain gold, ring has " officiated " at one hundred and eighty- five weddings in two years. It'is kept at Castle Garden, and loaned for use by immigrants who want to marry tlieie. Reynolds, the dramatist, calling a fiiend's attention to the thinness of the house at one of his own plays, added that he supposed it was owing to the war. • No," 'replied the latter, { it is owing to the piece.' Parliamentry Language. — In the Kew South Wales Parliament a member named A. G. Taylor, who is already involved in legal difficulties with the Speaker, attacked another member named Luscombe, accused him of cowardice, and called him a creeping tiling, a knave, a rogue, a cur, a cow-headed rat. He was called to order several times, and attempted to argue with the Speaker Cries of " Chair " were raised, whereupon Mr Taylor said, '• The chair be d d." He was called upon to withdraw the expression and apologise, which he did in an evasive manner. Mr Geo. E Clark will sell by public auction at the residence of Mr H. W. Lamplugh, Hrycestreet, Cambridge, on Friday, July 25:n, the while of his household furniture and effects, as pur list. Rats and Mice.— lf you wish to de stroy them get a packet of Hill's Magic Vermin Killer in packets, 6d, 9d, and Is, to be •bt.iined of all storekeeper*, or from T. B. Hill by enclosing an extia. stamp. Yes ! It is certainly true. Ask any of your friends who have purchased there. Garlick and Cranwell have numerous unasked for and very favourable commendations from country customers on their excellent packing of Furni. ture, Crockery, and Glass, Bee. Ladies and gentlemen about to furnish • should: remember that Garlick and Cranwell's is thu Cheap Furnishing Warehouse of Auckland. Furniture to suit all classes ; also Carpets, Floor Cloths and all House Necessaries. If your new house is nearly finished, ,or,. you are going-' to get married/ visit Garlick and Cranwell, Queen-street and Juorne-street, Au'ck"~%nd; lutendingpuxcte^rtca^^aTe^patMogiip s