REFORM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2672, 27 August 1889, Page 3

REFORM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,-It has been frequently stated that New Zealand is very, much ovor-governed, and when one sees the vast number of Acts in force by which the people are compelled to do, or not to do, certain things, tho vast army of Civil Servant*, the number of inspectors of all kind, &c., aud all requiring payinont, the wonder is that the pooplo can tamely submit to it any longer. In my last letter I indicated [he direction that reform should take : I will now enter more into details, and give what, in my opinion, would bo desireablo changes. It was the greatest, mist dee any Government ever made to enter upon the public works policy under Julius Vogel. From that lime dates the beginning of a coutse of public jobbery and corruption, and tho consequent ruin of our colony. The Government had no business: to enter into a commercial specification and make political railways to gain support. The making of railroads and telegraphs should have been left to commercial people, and wo would not have a liability of over £1-1,000,000 for railways, and an immense army of officials. I would suggest that the whole of our railways and telegraphs be either sold or lot fcr a term of 20 or 25 years, the proceeds to go towards paying either the deht or the interest. At the various city telegraph oltices there aro from twenty to forty telegraphists employed—at Nelson tho number is over thiity. Would any private company employ such a staff, or pay such salaries as aro paid ? With the sale or the letting of tolographs completed, Government should re-organise tho Post offices. All the small country offices could bo kept by business people such as chemists or other business men, to whom a small salary would bn a considerable help, it would bo tho saving of salaricß and offices, in large towns and cities, paid officials could be continued as at present. Letter carriersshould be discontinued. Country people do not get their letters delivered at their farms, and why should they assist in paying for such conveniences in towns and cities. If the people there want them, let them pay for them out of their own rates. In Auckland there are upwards of twenty such letter carriers, who travel miles into the suburbs. It would bo an easy matter for people in business to send to the office after the arrival of mails, but in this, as in everything else, the evil has crept in, and now thoso benefited do not think of the expense, as it does not affect their pockets direct. One of the worst Acts on our statute book is the Regulation of Local Elections Act, it is nothing more nor less than a machine compelling us to expend a largo portion of our rates in advertising and returning officers'fees, which could bo saved if we were again to revert to the system in forco from 1871 to 1876. I may mention that at the last election for members of the Mangapiko Road Board, it took five advertisements, costinf, eighteeen shillings each, and the returning officer's fees making nearly eight pounds sterling to elect a Board, and this is not a singular case. Under the present system of auditing accounts and holding annual meetings tho ratepayers tako no interest in tho proceedings ; where in former times upwards of sixty people would attend it is difficult now to get any but the members ot the Board. Let us have tho old style of electing onr members at an open meeting by show of hands—discuss the action of the outgoing Board—the works required and the rate to be struck, and savo all the advertising and returning officer's fees. Lot all accounts be audited locally. What business has tho Auditor-General with them when Government finds no money for us? It only moans tho employment of a number of officials in Wellington to do work which can be done by ourselves for nothing. Tho same Act compels Licensing Boards to spend their money—County Councils ditto. I might mention here that tho Mangapiko and Tuhikaramea Road Districts have no public houses, and yet the Boards must go through tha farce of holding meetings and spending n.oney in returning officors and advertising when there is no revenue After Road Boards were elected in the old and simple way, the Board would elect their chairman, and all chairmen of Road and Town B lards, should be, ex officio, members of the County Councils. Should tho chairman declino the oi'rice, tho Board to have power to appoint one of their own number or other ratepayer, the number of members of Council to be fixed on a scale of population, and partly ratable value of the road districts. The County Councils to be also the Licensing Boards for the whole county, and appoint members of Hospital Boards, havo control of Waste Lands, Reserves, Police, Slaughtering, Draining, Rabbits and Sheep Acts, etc. Tho ltoad and Town Boards and Borough and City Councils should be tho only bodies empowered to make any rate. School Committees, County Councils, and the General Government should hand to the various Boards empowered to strike a rate a statement showing their requirements. These Boards should then appoint their own valuator, who would make out a list of all persons living in, or owning property of any kind, within the district, In my opinion the as-sessmcnt should be made upon property and income. A person should pay upon what he is woith ; that is, just in proportion to tho protection he receives from the State, and there can bo no objection to an Incometax, when a person is fortunate onougli to havo an income. The person handing in his statement of property should include freehold, whether mortgaged or not, and pay the taxes : a clause in the Assessment Act should give him the right to deduct from his last quarter's interest in each year the amount paid for County Council and General Government taxes. A tax on unoccupied land held in large areas might be imposed to prevent land sharks impeding settlement. To substitute a Land Tax for a Property and Income Tax would be greatly against country districts. There is a great cry that the Property-tax frightens away capital. As it stands at present such might, be correct. But what would be the result if the exemptions wero taken off? Would not half tho present rate realise a larger amount than is now raised ? Let mo ask those who favour a Laud Tax to reach the speculator if it would not be oppressive to the country settler —and how would you assess business men of all kinds and professional men if there wero no Income Tax ? As I will have something more to say about taxation at a future date, I will pass on to education. So much has been said and written about our system of education ; while all condemn it as being too expensive, thero has been no plan or theory advanced to replace it. Even our statesmen who have moved votes of want-of-confidence have remained silent on this important question. It might appear presumptious on my part to try and solve the question ; yet I have a plan in my mind and will give it. No doubt it will meet with warm opposition and may-be discussion, which must end in good. To begin I would wipe out Education Boards as now constituted. They are mostly composed of city men whose sympathies are in a great measure with the city, and even where they are ever so much inclined to do right, their want of knowledge of locality, circumstances, &c., prevents them giving _ an intelligent and well considered vote without obtaining the secretary and inspector's opinion. I would also do without the oxaining inspectors, there would be considerable saving to the colony with these Boards and Inspectors removed. I would, however, have visiting inspector, as I will show further on. Tho school committees should have the appointment of all teachers and pay, say about three-fifths ol their salaries, tho Government to pay the balance. Exception might be made in cases of new schools in thinly populated districts where more assistanco might be given. The teachers to be all classified and paid according to their standing. Experience and results .should be considered in the classification. The minimum salary of any male teacher of lowest grade should be fixed at, say £100, and of female at, say £80. If a district was able and willing to pay for a first-class teacher it should be allowed to tax itself accordingly, but no matter in what school a teacher taught when once he was classified he would be certain of obtaining tho salary due to that class, and then there would be no jealousy nor favour. By throwing the cost of Education thus directly upon the people, a large amount of money would be saved to the General Government, namely Boards of Education, inspectors, and threo - fifths of the cost of all teachers' salaries which together would nearly amount 'to £200,000. This would make tho Property-tax and the huge department unnecessary and bo at once a saving of all the salaries, which form a considerable item. While a saving to the general Government would bo elfected in this way, the school committees would not be so free in appointing assistantp and pupil teachers as Boards of Education are ; having to find their own funds they would in most cases of country schools get along with one teacher, and that could easily bo done without impairing, the Service, in the following mannerln place of

restricting education to the fourth standard and charging a fee to those in the fifth aud Bixth standards, I would make education from six years to fourteen free, but after having passed an examination equal to present fourth standard all children attending should be liable to ba called upon to assist in teaching some of the younger classes, in fact tlioy would simply be monitors and while this would savo them paying for education it would also save tho expense of assistants and pupi! teachers, while the ta«cher would be enablod to overtake all his work without any injury to the school. Visiting inspectors could be appointed by County Councils, and chosen from amongst our clergymen, at a nominal figure and travelling expenses, as is done in Canada. I consider that we have many gentlemen in our midst who would be quite capable and willing to undertake the duties as above mentioned. It would bo an easy matter for a minister to visit the eighteen or twenty schools in our country two or three times a year. Examinations should be held annually on the same date over the whole colony, from papers prepared by the Minister of Education. These should be sent to the chairman of committees in good time for examinations, and opened by him in school at the time. When finished they should be returned to the Minister at Wellington. The teacher would make the result known to his committee and advance the scholars as they deserved. The question of new districts, schools and residences would require special consideration. A fair rent should be charged to toachers for their residences, to make provision for renewing them from time to time. I have much more to say oil various matters, but, as my letter is already too long, I will defer it. While thanking you for the space you are granting me, allmv me to express my admiration for your able, excellent and fearless articles and the tone of your paper generally.—l am, etc., I'. C. GEK.mann. Paterangi, August 17th, 1889.