The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17,1907. The Budget.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 319, 17 July 1907, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1907. The Budget.

We must certainly congratulate the Government upon the Financial Statement delivered in * K ® House last night, and while many will cavill at the decision of the Ministry to abandon the cardinal features of last year's land proposals, there oan be. no question but tbat they have done so in deference to the wishes of the majority of the people of the colony. Of course the change is only a compromise, although it goes far to satisfy the objections made to the. original proposals. Tho state of the finances of th© colony is a matter for satisfaction, and the determination to make remissions of taxation through the Customs on what are generally classed as the necessaries of life is a sensible method of disposing of some oi our surplus revenue. That long-stan-ding injustice under which sheep-far-mers have suffered — the sheep-tax — has at last been abolished, and the iniquity of one class of the community j being singled out for special taxation is considerably lessened. The desira- ] bility of the proposal to apply the j education test to Chinese as well as to Europeans has been pointed out j by us over and over again, and it is j pleasant to find that, though late in the day, the Government have recognised tbe wisdom of the suggestion, and will bring in legislation to effect such a reform. We are not so sure of the justice or desirability of making tbe land-tax valuation, even with a percentage added, the basis upon which Government should purchase land under the Lands for Settlement Act. It might work in two wayß __the value, though a fair taxable price, might not be the market value; while, when values are inflated, the Government valuation may work out to the detriment of the State. The best way to fix a value would be to set up a Board of experts and not to relegate tne decision to a Supreme Court Judge who knows little about the value of rural land, and to two assessors, who are naturally j partisans to their very finger-tips. The reduction of th© rate of interest j charged to local bodies for their loans j and the giving of preference in alio- j eating money to those districts which are rated most heavily, is an instalment of justice which has long been looked for, because it is an economy { to the State to persuade localities to rely as little as possible on direct grants from th© public exchequer for the construction of purely local works. The proposed legislation in connection with th© half-holiday for shops and factories will be looked forward to with interest, for there oan be no doubt that the existing state of affairs is unsatisfactory to the highest degree. Tbe postal reforms projected, ©specially the reduction of postcards to _d and th© increase in the weight ot magazines which can be posted for Id, will be welcomed, while the propcsals to give telephone subscribers out of th© four centres th© privilege of telephoning telegrams to a telegraph station without extra charge is a fair concession to the country districts which is not likely to be abused. Th© policy of the Government, after a year's tenure of office, gives an indication of a desire to belie the reputation earned last year for rash experiJients and ill-considered proposals, and if the influence of a small Opposition can change th© face of affairs so radically in such a short time, there is hope that th© next general election may plaoe parties on a more equitable footing in regard to tbe repre sentation of the interests of the community than can be said for the present House. .