COMING EVENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 1199, 5 May 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

COMING EVENTS.

[From the Ximaru Herald, April 19.] The new Executive ought to be thoroughly conversant with public affairs by the fourth of Mny. It ia sot usual for so long an adjournment to be asked for by an incoming Ministry even m the House of Representatives, where there is ten times as much departmental detail to be mastered as m any Provincial Council; and Sir Craoroft Wilson's demand for a fortnight's delay before proceeding to business, must b« considered an admission of the unfitness of himself and his colleagues for their places. Surely Councillors who do not shrink from the responsibility of office, should have sufficient experience of forms and papers, and sufficient general knowledge of political business, to enable them to ascertain m a very few hours how matters stand. Mr Maude declares that the estimates of tho departments lately under his control and under that of Mr Jollie are ready and are m the printer's hands ; and it should not take morn than a day or two to revise them completely, or to prepare entirely new ones. How long' Sir Cracroit Wilson may require m order to put a party together who will be both willing and able to keep him m office, we do not; knowl, That is not his avowed object m asking for an adjournment, although it is more than probably his reul one. In any case the business of the Province Bbould not be delayed, either to enable incompetent men to " cram " subjects 1 which Nature, never intended them to: understand; or to give them time to discover by degrees what they might bav'eiearnt by quicker means, that the House has no confidence m them. ; It 'is just possible, by the bye} that m taking office, Sir , Cracr'oft Wilson and his friends, have not quite arranged all the points of their policy, and want a little leisure m order to give it the finishing touches. 1 If this is the case, we hope we shall not' be deemed intrusive, m suggesting a few "ministerial Resolutions " for their programme : — "1. The inefficiency of the Canterbury police to preserve law and order being manifest, that immediate steps be taken to replace the. present Iforce! with Goorhkas ; the Preaidentof the Executive having kindly consented to go to England via India to ' arrange for an irruption of these amiable barbarians. After they have ' put down' everybody and everybody m Canterbury, under the personal superintendence of Sir Cracroft Wilson, they will still be available as cheap labor for • term of years, unless needed to resist encroachment by the General Government on the Middle Island Land Fund." 2. " That the whole of the proceeds from the sale of land South of the Bangitata be impounded, pending the repeal by the General Assembly of the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works Act; after which event, the sum. in hand, and all future receipts, to be divided among the Road Boards North of the Rnngitata." 3. " A property tax of not exceeding 20s m the £ to be imposed on all property, including lands leased from the Crown, South of the Rangitata,; until an amount equal to the aggregate sum received by the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works since its creation, with compound interest thereon, shall have been refunded; such amount to be expanded m removing the; College, Library, Museum, and other encumbrances from the People's Heritage at Christchurch, re-constructing them elsewhere, and purchasing,, denudihg, and laying down m grass, all the area lying between the boundary of the Domain and the river Avon." : : : ' ",'.. 4. "That the sum of £100,000 allb-, cated by .mistake last session' for , Harbor Works at Timaru, be raised by . local taxation m that district, and be expended m draining the suburb of Waltham." Owing to great delay having been caused by the negleot of the late Ministry to have everything cut and dried for their successors, it will not perhaps be possible for the Council to do much more than this m the present session. - r . If, however, they afford to the Government that degree of cordial and unquestioning support whioh is ex- ' pected of them, the programme of wholesome Reform here sketched out, 1 will no doubt; on ; a future opoortunity j be extended indefinitely on the : same liberal basis. ..' ."/,'