The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2030, 11 July 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to ill men, Ot uhatsoe\cr state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's rifrht maintain, Un.iwed by influence and unbnbcd by gain.

SATURDAY, JULY U, 1885.

I\ order to retain office, Ministers have consented to abandon their tariff piopos.ils, and t.ike the backbone out of their much •\aunted local government measure. This may be a very natural, though it is not a (liquified course to pursue ; nor is it likely to confer much bonetit upon the country. Half measures are seldom efficient. When the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Bill is robbed of its borrowing, guarantee, and railway construction clauses, it is as Samson shorn of his hair, and become like any other system of State aid. Not that we entertained any love for the bill in its entirety. The principle imolved in it is unsound, and, to our thinking, unwoikable. But in its present or promised shape, it may be questioned if the bill is any impro\ ement on the Roads and Bridges Act of the Atkinson Government. Indeed, it suffers by the comparison inasmuch as it w ill tend to weaken still further the spirit of independence which successhe generations of statesmen have told us should actuate the local bodies. The Lyttelton Times, a journal which can, — or rather, could, —see little but perfection in the policy and administration of the Stout- Vogel Cabinet, thus leferred to the local government bill, w hen it was first introduced, and before the veidict of the country was pronounced against it :—": — " There is this in its fa\our— it oilers a distinct compromise, applicable to all cases, to endure, according to the bond, for certain stated time, which is not less than a quarter of a century. It provides for the case of eveiy pos- I sible road and every possible bridge, and it applies to those local bodies who have no means, as well as to those which are rich. In effect, the ( Government says : — ' There is no course open but generosity. Rates will not do alone, because some people who must have roads and bridges, and will keep the road and the bridge always before Parliament, have very little that can be rated. Loans will not do, because some local bodies, who want roads, Arc, ha\e no security to offer, dive them annual subsidies out of the Consolidated revenue, and borrow as much e\ery year for them from the public creditor. In this way Me shall get rid of annual importunity by a fixed sum ; we shall provide a revenue which may be used partly as security for loans ; and we hand over the en re and responsibility of works to those whose interest it is to see to them. We give them also the power to raise money .secured on special rates.' Now, we do not like the system of subsidies, because it is demoralising. On the other hand, we do not like the presence of the road and the bridge in Parliament, because that is nlso demoralising. In making the choice between these evils, we prefer the lesser evil of demoralising the local bodies. The lesser demoralisation is reduced, by the system proposed to a minimum. It is demoralising to a local body to spend money that it does not raise. But if its income depends on a foundation of rates on the piinciple of no rates no subsidies, the demoralisation will not be too complete. Now, there are, no looal bodies to poor as not to be able to levy some sort of a rate, and outside the goldfields, who are specially pnrvided for, we hope none so poor as not to have a sufficient levenuc when their rates are increased by the subsidies. Exorbitant people there will always be ; but a well -understood compromise will be .in effectual barrier against them, ff this system of finance -semi-local, we prefer to call it --supplies all legitimate wants, it will be final and permanent, and therefore profitable to the country. If it does not, then we do not see anything else for it but to go on bearing with the road and the bridge in Parliament to the end of time." Our contemporary regaided the bill simply as the lesser of two or the least of many evils, and this conclusion we believe to be sound. The amendments forced on the Government w ill have the effect of making the bill less mischievous*, and on that account perhaps they may be regarded as improvements, but it is a pity that instead of clinging to

the mangled body of the original measure the (Jovernment did not frankly withdraw it, and set about the construction of something to take its place. The bill is not without its good points, to be sure, even when it is reduced from the proportions of a revolutionary machine to to those of a modest subsiding implement. For one thing it embodies the rational principal that the strong towns and surburban districts should help the weak, struggling communities on the confines of c'\ ilis.ition. This was not kept so clearly in \ iew by the framers of the Ro.uls and Bridges Act. The latter was, howe\er, more conducive to national morality than the former is likely to be. Under the circumstances, and presuming the House to be dissatisfied with the operation of the Roads and Bridges Act — which is not by any means certain — the C4overnment would do well to drop the battered fragments of the bill which they now offer to. Parliament, make temporary provision for the pressing wants of the local bodies, and devote some portion of the recess to the elaboration of a measure in accord with the views and sentiments of the country. Sir Julius Vogel would do well to carry out the plan he projected last year, and take the local bodies themselves into his counsels.

A meeting of the Cambridge Domain Board will bo held this afternoon at 3 p.m.

The Cambridge Town Board will hold its usual monthly meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The Revs. H. R. Dewsbury (Cambridge), and J. Bellow (Hamilton), will exchange pulpits to-morrow for both sen ice*.

Mr Thos. B. Lewis, J.P., took hi-> seat on the bench for the fir^t time at the sitting of the R.M. Court at Cambridge yc-teiday.

At the Police Court, Hamilton, on Thursday, John Cunningham w.n charged with diunkonnoss and disorderly conduct, and fined .">«> and coots*.

The dedication festival services of S. PetcrV Chinch, Hamilton, will be hold on Tuesday ewnintf next, the 14th inst. The Miimon will no pmaciied by tho RR t >\. ,T. M.ir.shall, i.f Te Arohii. There will be a choir practice of the festival iTiu>ic after the o\ ening vi \ ice to-nmrrow .

A public meeting to inaugurate the Waik.ito Liberal Association will be held .it tlic Hamilton H ill thw evening, at 7.30 o'clock, when adduces \m!l be deInered by the President and ofhcers of the Auckland Ass ici.ition. The Mayoi «>f Hamilton (Mi W. A. Gi.ili.im) will occupy the chair.

We are requested to state that a meeting of the Opposition member* m the Hamilton L^'isl.itne Attention will bo held in the W.uk ito Times Buildings at !» o'clock on Tut»-d ly evening next to <li>cuii the Ffdci.it'on piopos.iN of the (Joveinwont. A full attciKl.ince !•» ieque»ted.

At the R.M. Court, Cambridge, vesti'id.iv, in tli^ c.w> Keie.mu Kop.i \. \V. .T. Huntei, the pl.untitf was non-suited, with co-t-. Hi-. Wniship, in Ri\mg ludijinent, sUtcd the f.ict> \\\m\\ whicli lie found. The-e f.ict- .no publu-lied in full I'Newheio. It is now likely tint the c.ises will goto the .Supreme Court.

Percy Missen, charged with writing and exhibiting in .1 public place indecent .ind obscene words was .ij'.iin. brought up .it the Police Couit, Hamilton, on Thursday. Mr Northcroft -severely reprimanded tln> defcud.int, but ».iid that in consideration for hi-> family he would not commit him to [niton. He would be bound o\er in In-, own recognisance of £."jO to coiuu up for sentence when called on.

Miss M. S. M Swan, of Onehungp, rcq ii'^ts u- to st.ito tl» it rveoned i>n the 2lst M.iy, out of tin 1 pioceeds of tho coinplimenUiy ci)nci'itf,'Hfii.itC.uiibiidKe, the sum of £"), «>f -lit- spent £2 in imlu.ty fail' 1 ". <^n tho 2C»th of ilnne >hc roccncd .1 furthci Mint of f>, so tlt.it the nett proceeds of the conceit amount to t'S.

At the Auckland Police Court on Thut^dny, John Evans u.is charged with fai'mg to comply with an order to contribute £1 per week towards the support of his wife, Sarah Ann Ev.m-, of W.ntetuna, on August 2. On the application of Sergt. Pratt, the accused was ri'm.xndod to Hamilton, w hen he will bo brought bt'foro the R.M. to day.

The usual monthly meeting of the Tarnation* Road Hoard took place yesterday at the residence of the clerk. The busine-.-. w as of the usual routine character, with the exception of the untral road contiact, with ic-ipcct to which the engineer reported that the woik had not been cairiod out according to plans and specification I*.1 *. It was i evolved that the matter of tho proper hni-hiin? of tho woik be leferred to arbitration. A few .iccnunti were passed, and the meeting adjourned.

It is now understood that in the e\ent <>f the C.itnlnidgu Town Board organ.Mng .in ethcieut hie htig.ide, buying a suitable engine, and piowding the tan with .1 good supply <>f water, tli.it the nisui.ince companies will nuke f.i\ out-able reductions in the late-s .ind th.it they will readily accept lisks which they now refuse. The town board meet-* on Tuesday afteinoon ne\t, when no doubt these mattei-. will be fully gone into. It is aNo understood that .1 public meeting will bo called .it an e.uly date, to tike the->e niatter-> into consideration.

The charge against Thos. Jackson for cutting the hair nff the tail of the hor«e of .?<ilin Runcitnnn at Cambridge in May la«t was dismissed at the sitting of the R.M. Cuurt yesterday. Mr H.»v called Mr Kmicniian, and satisfied the court that a settlement had been elieeted by the paying of a sum of numey l»y defendant to Mr Kvmcitn.m previous to the l.i> mg "f tho infoi iiLition on which defendant wns chaiged. Mr Runciman was (inestioncd at some length by the bench a-< to tho settlement, and hih veracity was made the subject «f a few r.ithei strong compliment*, on the pivrt ofthoK.M.

A few days ago we drew attention to the exceedingly dirty state of Dukestreet, Cambridge, the mud in places being many niches thick. Ye->terd.iy afternoon a piominent and energetic member of the town bo,ud, fitliiM conscience-stricken or unible to withstand the opprobriums of an indignant public .my longri, took to the stieets himself, .uid with the ah-wt.uice of .■in iron scra)» v r soon succeeded in improving matter* to *uch an extent as to enable people to cro»s tin 1 ro.\d in safety. Such a worthy example w.i-. not lo>t, but was willingly followed by ntheis in the street who li.indled the scr.iper like profeismihil ctossing-sweopeifr. It is to be hoped that the next tiino the town board lu^ the niiiiti thiiKiunlifuro of tho town gin veiled, it will be particular as to tho cl.iis of in.iteiial used.

We have just received a neatly at ranged Tinf Kegistei fur June, niued by tin* well known bookmaker Mi H. O\onhani, of Sydney. It contains .1 lecord of the best times inside at various distances in the Au-.ttMl.iMas, and lecords <>f the -ucCf^fttl inck^y*, Vtoth on tin* tt.it ami o\ur jumps, i)cM(lt!s .{, wi'iffht-for ago sc.ilo. Alto«,'i>tlici it hii handy little woik, of about 100 pagt'-s, pocket ki/u, and well L'ot up. As the prico(K) i>> within the reach of all, no racing nt.ui should be without a copy. It i-> issued monthly, and contain-' the placed pei formiinco fm the ])ie,sioin month of all hoises cngatred at all nu'ctings of iin])oitance tlnoutfhout New Zealand, New S>mtli Wales, Victona, South Australia and Queensland

The Wellington correspondent of thuSt.il tolegnphing on Wednesday s.iy-. : —In the House, tin", afternoon, MrS.unuol asked a question in effect whether Mr Vail'» proposals had been considered by the (io\ eminent. Mr Itich.udson, in reply, said : Mr V.vile's proposals have been brought under the notice of sbmm.il Minihtern, both in previous (Joseinnipnts, a« also m the present, and Mr Vaile has hud a very long interv iew with inu, extending over some hours. Mi Voile's proposal* have been varied so much from time to time th.i., in is impossible to say whether thoy all have been considered. At the intor\lew I had with Mr Vaile, I point 3d out to him

th.it lie admitted ho did not understand t!ie system (if the working of the pie-.ent tariff, which i« ba^ed "n thine evicting on railways in other putts of the woild. I alao poirteJ out to him that ho laised a large question of policy by laying it down as a basis th.it it is most mischie\<>\« to attempt to make the railway-, pay interest. I went.caiefully o\er his diagram* .ind his proposals, as far ,b he chose to submit them to me, and the result was that I nifoimcd him he had not convinced me of the pi.xcttcahility of his propo-aN, and that I could not sop my way to recommend his scheme to be tried, .is according to his own showing a large loss must immediately result to the revenue, although ho states that in future there will be an equally large increase. The statements made that the dcpaitmcut has refused to consider the proposals are therefoie incorrect.

At the annual meeting of tile Auckland Chambei of Commerce on Thmsd.iv, M» H. V.ulc, in .uundunce with notice, moved . 1. '' That in the opinion of this Chamber the 'deferential mting' miItemed against Auclvl.md by the ' scale of fares, rate*, and chaiges' now in use on the Xew Zealand Railways i-, unfair .md unjust, and that it ought to be at once removed. 2. That, a copy of this resolution be forvvaided to the Auckland members, with a request that they will bring this matter foicifcly under the notice of tho Government."' In moving the resolutions Mr Vaile (we quote fiom the Her.ild's leport) said he would not have brought them up but that he had been urged by many gentlemen in the country to do so. In travelling thiough the country he found that there was an unfortunate feeling existing regarding not only this Chamber, but all Chambers of Commerce, that they only studied the interests of the city, and not those of the countiy, and that the interests of the city and country were not identical. He had done his best to remove that impression. He had been written to to bring thiu matter under the notice of the Chamber. Since ho spoke in luveicareill and Dunedin, action had been takcirnn regard to deferential charge--, and they had been removed. He also spoke in Wellington, and a deputation of tho Chamber of Commerce had waited on the Minister for Public Works, but with what result he did not know. Mr Vaile pointed out a num ber of anomalies in the charges between the South and the Xoi th, and also in the North Island railways themselves— us for instance, the vanance in the charges from Auckland to Cumbiidgp, and fiom Auckland to Te Avvuinntii. Having i>ointed out this deferential lating in several elassp N he pioposed the resolutions of which he had given notice. Aftei some discussion, in the course <'f which the lailway management came in f >i some haid knocks, the resolution* vveie curried.