Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1895. THE PAYERS AND THE SPENDERS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10016, 14 June 1895, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1895. THE PAYERS AND THE SPENDERS.

We have the definite promise that daring the coming session of Parliament) an attempt will be made to revolutionise oar system of local government". There Is, no donbb, room for Improvement, especially in reducing the number of local bodies. We have Municipal Corporations, Town Boards, Hospital Boards, Charitable Aid Boards, Land Boards, Education Boards, School Committees, Cemetery Boards, Lloeßalng Committees, High School Governors, and perhaps a dozen more. This Is ridiculous, and something In the direction of the English County Councils Act, amalgamating and consoli- . dating all these petty bodies into two or three groups would go in the right direction. Bat the proposals of the Government will go much further than merely consolidating existing local todies. At least two other features are known through the public utterances of Ministers. One will be an attempt to levy all local rates on the unimproved value of property. The Mayor of InvercargiU effectually pricked that bubble in his memorandum to the Borough Council whioh we published the other day, and perhaps after that complete exposure of the misohievons result of such an alteration, it will be allowed to remain in that limbo from which id should never bave been exhumed. Hla Worship clearly showed that) not only would the proposal absolutely wreck all municipal finance, but it would lead to a state of things grossly unfair and illogical, decreasing, as it would, the ratoa of those who are both entitled and able to pay, and Increasing the public hardens upon straggling Bottlers, A better example of mongrel "Liberalism" than that could not well be devised. But quito as absurd and illogical ia the other known feature of the proposed measure, Certain sapient— in their own estlma tion — bodies known as Knights of Labor, Trades Councils, and others, would eeek to dictate to bho Government a demand tnat local bodies shall be elected on the basis of universal suffrage. We do nob suppose the Government will go so far as that. But there will «certalnly be an attempb to reduce all ratepayers to the same level in voting power. We do not say that there should be no extension of tbe franchise On the contrary, we hold that every occupier of a house should have a vobe, whether he pays the rates direct or not. It is a blot on our present system that, especially in towns, there are many persons in occupation of valuable ratable i property, who are not on the roll because they do nob pay rates direct, though they are included in the rent, If an alteration were made which would enable persons so selected to pat their names apou the municipal roll ib would be a great improvement. But it is understood this is nob the intention of the Government. The Premier has spoken with no uncertain sound. His wish is that those who provide the Binews of war— that is, the rates — for bhe Corporation shall be ontvoted by those who pay little or nothing, and that It shall be in the power of those who have nob to rob those who have. Some correspondence of a somewhat "sultry" description has lately passed between tbe Premier and the Mayor of Dunedln, Mr H. S. Fish, in reference to the unemployed. The Premier holds that It is the duty of corporations to estab'ish what are virtually chaiiliable aid works. The Mayor claims that the Corporation has its legitimate duty to do, it has to raise somewhat large rates for corporation re» qulrernents, and although it will do all it oan, 1b does not recognise the responsibility to provide all and sundry with work at full wages. When we consider that In tbe main the funds of a corporation are raised by a dlrecb levy npon the property owners, and that those funds are chiefly expended on roads, sewerage, lighting, water supply, and many other things that help to make a town habitable, id does nob seem reasonable thab those who provide none of the revenue should be nble to dicbate to those who. do as to the expenditure of what to a great extent is their own money. We have plenty of evidence that there is a wish among what may be stylod professional Liberals to have a really goad time if they can at the expense of others, and bo far as the Legislature goes they have succeeded uncommonly well. Doubtless they look for other good " pickings' 1 In the shape of salaries payable monthly and unatbacnable for debb If they can get the loaal government franchise pat on a universal basis. Bub the cases are nob at all parallel. It is argued with some force that all except criminals and those ia receipt of charitable aid contribute to the general taxation of the colony, and are coneequently entitled to a voice in the government of tho country, though It is open for argument whether all shoald bave the Bame voice, irrespective of the amount of their contribution, education, or intelligence. However, that question ■ay be regarded as settled ao far as New

Zealand is concerned. Bat In the case of local bodies subsisting, os they do, mainly upon the lovies made on property, and pfißflesxiDg no legislative functions, that any attempt to give a man who contributes a shilling equal rights in the expenditure of corporate moneys with one who payß £100 Is not conducive to the good of the country. It would be far better if the Government took advice Id these matters from those who are competent to advise them, rather than adopt blindly any fancy which thu members of a secret society nifty dictate.