The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, NOV. 13, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2550, 13 November 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, NOV. 13, 1888.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The proposed Public Works Act Amendment Bill, which has been circulated by the Hon. Mr Mitchelson, has, up lo the present time, received condemnation at the hands of only two of our local governing bodies, namely, the Waikato County Council and tlw Kirilciriroa Koiul Board. Two other of our lor;al bodies have liad the l»ill liefore them, but only one of these jjiivc; a di.vi.sive ex[>ression of opinion, 'i his was the. Pinko County Council which, in the value nf t!i(! ))rineip!i: underlying the |iru[ii)<ed h j u s iii-m, reeoniniendcd tint tin; ninissioii wipointed f)iU. in a ivcmiL article as (,'xistin." should l-i! siipjilii'd, which is ihat tin; Act, in \\ li:iti-vcr form it might lie passed, be made to iipply to Crown and other public lauds infested with the nuisance. The Ngaruawaliia Jload Board deferred giving an opinion until it had seen what action other bodies took in the matter. As we said before the evil of allowing the country's soil, whether that soil be owned privately or by the State, to become deteriorated in value mid rendered waste and unpvo-

ductivo! through negligence is an economic crime, which should be checked. It is the duty of the State to preserve the value and fertility of tho soil equally as much as to legislate for the conservation of the public health or repression of social crime. The State already shows it takes that view of its responsibilities in regard to the source of all wealth—the soil. It has devised rigid legislation which it enforces, and it has its mind occupied with a variety of scientific remedies, for the destruction of rabbits which overrun and ruin immense areas of land, both public and private. Eabbits, gorse and briars are all nuisances that inflict a vast deal of loss to the country, and neither of them can be allowed to have free run of the soil without let or hindrance, even (hough the pockets of a few interested individuals or the inertia of indifferent landowners may be touched up sharply. The ralobit nuisance and the gorse and briar nuisance are parallel, and should be legislated against on precisely parallel lines. The proposed Bill is in the right direction, and when it is made more comprehensive, its defects remedied and omissions provided for, it will recommend itself to the people at large.