The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1881

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3034, 17 March 1881, Page 3

The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1881

The Nelson Colonist in a loading article points out that at the eDd of this mouth the local governipg bodies of the colony will have r? face a state of affairs such as never previously existed sime they were originally coustitated. So long aa provincial institutions endured, the Councils always assisted the road boards and municipalities by ia aid of their ordinary revenuer, -■v'M'-'b. mainly enabled fhsm to carry out improvements, to form and erect bridges, that are now boked on as espential to the comfort of our tttrlerg. Tho provinces themselves, in additiou to the receipts from land sales, had, ia some iortn, for a long period from Customs duties, afterwards in the shape of a capitation grant, a share of the consolidate- revenue towards paying the cost of their establishments. The Public Works policy so completely confused all previous arrangements, the receipts of the provinces being in some instances insufficient to meet' the deductions for interest and other charges, that many of those best acquainted with their condition agreed to their abolition on the faith of the pledge contained in Sir Julius's resolution and endorsed by the House, that "an inexpensive but more thorough form of local government" should be substituted, and rha* 'lie several districts should be " endowed with substantial revenues." When the counties were founded, tfco absence of adequate authority to fill (he place of the provinces and the ludicrous inconsistencies in their constitution were obvious. The one redeeming feature to many minds in the new system was the provision for paying U> the country districts by way of subsidy two pounds tor one collected on a rate not exceeding a shilling in the pound, to be divided equally between the County Councils «nd the Road Boards, and pound for pound to the Borough Councils on the same basis. Though under the Financial Arrangements Act, 1876. these subsidies were to be paid for five years " but no longer" there was an easy going feeling t-bat after being enjoyed for so long a period, Parliament would never be persuaded to discontinue them. Every constituency being interested, it was supposed that representatives would stand by the subsidies whatever the views of the Government; in fact, that no Colonial Treasurer would dare to invite defeat by proposing a change that would dip into the pocket of every ratepayer. As to the five years set forth, any person venturing to express a doubt that interference would be attempted before they were past was forthwith denounced as a slanderer, the honor, good faith, and a variety of other noble attributes of Minister? being recited as all sufficient answers to such vile insinuations. Time went on, and with it as fresh loans, were raised and squandered, the excess of interest over earnings became so great that when the land fund suddenly sunk to a trifling amonnt, the remaining revenue was insufficient to carry on administialion at its then cost after providing for the claims of the Foreign creditor. Major Atkinson, who was Colonial Treasurer when the subsidy scheme was introduced, has again succeeded to that office, yet he showed no hesitation in discarding his former assurances, and suddenly proposing to put an end to the assistance to local bodies, though the five years for which it was guaranteed had not expired. At the same time he announced the intention of the Government to establish another system of endowment " with substantial revenues," exclusively applicable to outlying districts, the boroughs and completely settled parts of the country being thrown entirely on their own resources. No real attempt was made to pass the Bills providing for the rating of Crown aud Jv'ative Lands and for making grants or lot ns as the ca.-e might be from the Lane. Fund, chiefly for the execution of

ntew work?, so when f-ie end ofthc session

'•/as nlcih, these mey. ■ -9 were cast aside, aad the con>,;"''or< of payi: _, ?°ven shillings and six pease in the £ on tue subsidies was made as a final, dividend on the bankitsptcy of rhiniaterial pledges.