THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1897, 4 September 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDA Y, SEPTEMBER 4, 1874.

The condition of the Local Revenues Boards and their twin brethren, the Road Boards on the West Coast of New Zealand, is surely unique in the present world, nor do we think a parallel to it could be found in the past. Indeed it is ss pitiable, we had almost written, so contemptible that we do not believe it could exist under any system of Governmentsave that which sits upon the breast of New Zealand like a nightmare whilst Bucking her life-blood, like a mammoth vampire. Here we Bod incontrovertible evidence that Provincialism has failed, and failed utterly t<> discharge the functions for which ostensibly it lives at all. The chief argument against having the whole of the functions of legislation and administration performed by one P*< .i unent, is that such a system is too centralising that it hampers the head and upper parts of the body whilst starving the extremities. And it is urged on behalf of Provincialism that, it prevents this unequal distribution of aliment, and feeds the whole body on the same regimen, thereby producing health and vigor, not in auy one portion only, but throughout the whole body from the top of the head to the ends of the toe 3 To such as argue thus, we point out the Ahaura Local Revenues Board as a " shocking example " of the falsity of their theories. We, yesterday, published a report of a meeting of that body, which might well be said to have been in extremis at the time of the meeting. A resolution was passed declaring the Board's unwillingness to continue in office under the conditions prescribed by the Nelson Government, and requesting that august power to furnish them with fuuds to defray existing liabilities and let them resign in a body. This action was caused by a reply to a request for money to car.xy on with that had been sent to the Provincial Government some time before. After the resolution had been passed, the Chairman of the Board tendered his resignation as Chairman, and also as a member of the Board ; but, as the opinion seemed to be that all should go out together, Mr Jones withdrew the resignations. Ever since its untimely birth, this corporation has dragged out a wretched, languishing, powerless existence, having important duties to do yet, utterly unable to do them through lack of money. It has asked again and again for the food it so sorely needed, but its unfeeling parent, instead of bread, has given it a stone. One might well imagine the Ordinance creating these Local Revenues Boards was intended to produce a gross burlesque on local Government. For from the time of their creation till now, they have been vegetating lather than living — they have never had sufficient money to carry on for a single week, and all their cries for help have been unavailing. Coming nearer home we find a state of things almost as bad. The Paroa Road Board has long been the laughing-stock of men with any appreciation of the ludicrous. In a chronic condition of pennilessness, it has gone on from day to day, nay from year to year. There too, we find the unexampled anomaly of men sitting at the Board table who pay not a shilling of rates. What would the people of Greymouth say if half of its Borough Ooun cillors wer« quite untouched by the ratecollector in his periodical rounds 1 What would they say if for instance the publicans were exempt from local taxation, and yet occupied half the seats at the Council board ? Well may the other classes groan in spirit and gnash iheir teeth in rage at the privileged set who determine how much they shall pay, and how the money shall be spent without themselves contributing a stiver to the 8. -aid's treasury. Really though it is marvellous what long-suffering, patient creatures, men may become. They grow accustomed to anything, and put up with it for years, though egegriously ahsurd and seveiely unfair, rather than make a vigorous united and determined effort to get rid of it. It is a maxim " old as the hills," that " use is second nature." There is even an apocryphal tradition

that a man might get used to hanging. Whilst giving no credence to this, we really find it hard to draw the line of demarcation as to what men could not gat used to, seeing what some of the race have so long borne in the matter of these local Boards. Whether Provincial institutions be swept away at once, or allowed to live yet awhile, this evil of the local Boards should receive vigorous and immediate treatment. The incurable sore must be cut out by the knife of the surgeon. The sore in this case is incurable. Let it then be treated as a cancer. Let the system of the present local Boards be eradicated to make way for one in accordance with the requirements of the West Coast, and in harmony with the enlightenment of the age. We have previously alluded briefly to the local governing bodies of Victoria. Long experience has amply demonstrated the excellence of the basis upon which these corporations are built up. That trite — almost vulgar— saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it," contains much practical wisdom dressed in homely garb. It exactly illustrates the principle under discussion. The West Coast scheme of local government has been weighed in the balance and found wanting ; that of Victoria has been weighed in the balance, and found to give good weight. It is prudent to profit by the experience of our neighbors under circumstances similar to our own. We may state, by way of parenthesis, that our strictures on West Cnast local governing bodies have no reference to the Borough Councils ; these have done, and are still doing, their duties well and efficiently.' The Shire Councils of Victoria consist of nine members, a third of whom retire every year. So that the whole corporation go before their constituents once in every three years. No one but those paying rates can vote at the elections, and to be eligible as a member of any Shire Council a man must pay at least a certain sum of rates fixed by the Act into the Shire treasury. The President is chosen from among their own body ty the members. This position is one of considerable importance, and is very eagerly sought after. Indeed, the vacancies in the Shire Councils for mere members are aspired to by numerous competitors sometimes ; and unless a candidate be a genuine " dark horse" — a really popular man — he is rarely permitted the luxury of a " walk-over." The Shire Councils' credit is always good at the Banks for considerable overdrafts. They are empowered to raise loans upon the security of rates. Their ordinary revenues are large and certain. In fine, they are always in a position to discharge the important and extensive functions entrusted to them. The laws regulating local government in Victoria have been amended more than once, aud we notice that they are now about to undergo further improvement. When this last step is completed, they will be as near perfection as Colonial laws are capable of being made, and will afford an excellent exemplar for New Zealand to copy.