PROPOSED POLITICAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2334, 25 June 1887, Page 2

PROPOSED POLITICAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

At yesterday's meeting of the Waikato County Council, Cr. Seddon moved '* That this. council, ill view of the approaching general; election invite the electors to attend a meeting, to be held on Wednesdny', the Gth July, at 11 a.m., at Le Quesne's Hall, Hamilton, to consider the present financial position of the colony. He said a Reform Association had been formed in Auckland, and not a day too soon. All parties had promised retrenchment, but when Governments got into power, the pressure of the huge public service was too much for them. The jjj-sk Government was the worst of all. The representatives were to blame in part, and the electors were also to blame in not compelling their members ..to insist upon economy. The tendency of the day was to put as much taxation on the land as possible. They had a recent instance of this in the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act. He thought the Anckland Association deserved their support. The Press was, he was glad to say, alive to the necessity for reform. The Herald had devoted several articles to the subject, and The Waikato Times was not a whit behind. The leading article in that journal on Saturday contained all the arguments which he would have used himself, but he could not have brought them out so well. • - The motion was seconded_ by Cr. Johnson, who heartily supported it, and carried unanimously. Cr. Seddon moved a second resolution as follows That the growing tendency to place the burden of the extravagant expenditure of the Government on the land, even taxing improvements, is viewed with alarm by this council, and it is urgent upon the electors to combine in demanding financial and administrative reform.' object of this resolution was simply to indicate the line the council wished to take tip, and the reason why they had felt called upon to take action. The motion was seconded by Cr. Runciman, and carried unanimously. The Chairman said it was clear that the people had a very important duty to per form at this juncture of affairs. It was decided to forward to all the local bodies in the county copies of the resolutions, with a request for their active assistance.