LOCAL ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 164, 11 July 1906, Page 8

LOCAL ELECTIONS.

(To the Editor.). . " Sir.—l see a letter in your issue of the 4th inst. upon the above question, which T think requires some attention. The first argument advanced is, your correspondent states, that for every 20/ collected in rates the local bodies get 10/ from the Government. I don't think your correspondent has much knowledge of Government subsidies. I find that during the year ending March- 31. 1905, there was collected as follows: — Ry- Rates. Govt. Subsidy £ s. d. £ s. d. •Road Boards ...100,363 4 10 t!'-\B7O 7 4 Counties 338,911 3 \ 105.474 7 Borough ~.462,827 19 1 34,206 7 11 River Protectorate 10.330 IS 11 Nil. iOaud Drainage.. 4,577 S 4 Nil. Water Supply.. 5,165 2 S Ml. City and Suburban Drafuage 28.064 S 10' Nil. Tram. Boards... 6.727 17 4 Nil Harbour Boards 40.417 15 ft Nil Town Districts.. 3.CC5 5 7 4,084 5 7 This includes rates on native and Crown lands, thirds and fourths from land sold on deferred payment; goldfield revenues, gold duty, foes," fines, etc. Thus we see there was collected as rates for the year the sum of £1,019,431 4/1, and the Government contributed the sum of £160,0353/5.. Deducting rents, gold j fees, duties, thirds, and fourths, we have jpaid to local bodies by the Government j as subsidies the sum of £53,191 1/3. Now, if the Government give 10/ for I every 20/ of rates collected, they would have given as subsidy £509,715. Thus your correspondent is only about 17.000 over four-fifths out, or, in other words, four hundred and seventeen thousand; [but then an item so small is nothing to jKome when they want to misrepresent. I Your correspondent also lays stress I upon the (as he says) large "amounts iconstantly being granted to local bodies. I Now, Sir, during 1905 the Government Rave as grants for special works £48,484 17/11. He further states that dog tax ia another reason why every resident 'should be entitled to vote, and he quotes la comparison, which is odious. He says Jif a ratepayer pays 3d a year he has* a ivoic: whilst a non-ratepayer may pay 5/ dog tax and get no vote. Now, first, there is no such rate as 3d, the minimum rate J being 1/v This money is collected for the ■purpose of maintaining the roads in the 1 district, whilst, the dog tax is not generally levied for that purpose.' and it.is generally admitted that the dog tax seldom yields anything beyond exnenses incurred. Then arises the question why tax dogs? (3ily answer to that is to keep, I in check a nuisance.) Dogs arc a luxury, land when they are kept as such, and [kept within bounds, there is no harm. ! But why sliould a. man following the ocjciipatlou- of bitshnian \ or a. r gumdigger J keep a pack of dogs- to be allowed to j wander at large, doing untold mischief, j among herds and flocks. These men elect, ito keep a dog as a companion. For this [privilege, they have to pay a- tax; or, j rather, the tax is. imposed to prevent a jinau kepin'g a whole army of them, and j allowing them to become a public nuisj 1 maintain the privileges of ratepayers should be jealously guarded, and : only those who iiavt to provide the

money should have the power __A__i_ rity to spend it. expect gumdiggers and are here one day and gone what interest,- I-ask, :have<these the welfare of the districts If *&_&:?• 3 franchise became law, and a nkrT V gumdiggcrs or bushmen concdctedSS they might very easily obtainseatTfi the various road boards, and 3* - their term of office do harm >___?"& might take years to recover from interest would not be in the future S fare of the district, but the advanwih?„t of some work for the special : __IT- » benefit of some member oTtteife? and when v that end was gained tow' grate to other parts to repeat the M «l! thing over again. The farmers : alarmed about the platform of the Tradand Labour Councils,* and I have ««! seen any signs of that party workiiw : the benefit of the farmers-£*2ft don't think they ever consider th«! much. And one thing I amy^re^l l from/personal conversation with some iti their leaders, they are totally of very many of the difficulties and dhl" advantages under which the faring' community arc placed.—l am, etc/^ J- T;' STEMBRJffiGE, Hunua, July 7, 1906. : ,