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Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 10483, 22 October 1894, Page 4

The Counties Vehicle Licensing Bill has probably received far less attention from the general public than it deserves, but as it Las now passed the Lower and been transferred to the Upper House, it becomes a matter of considerable moment to both town and country people. It first appeared in Parliament in 1892, when Mr Seddon introduced and passed the Westland, Bailer, Urey and Inangahua Counties Licensing Bill, by which the counties were empowered to make by-laws licensing all vehicles'which might be used on the county roads, and they soon rejoiced in a brand new code of regulations, fixing £2 10s per annum as the minimum fee for a sulky, and £l2 10s as the maximum fee for a six-horse waggon. The people did not take kindly to the scale or the principle, but protested and demurred, and on appealing to the courts obtained a ruling that the bylaws were ultra, vires. lu the meantime, during the session of 1893, the operation of the Act was extended to eleven counties in the North Island, the reasons given for the extension being the large amounts necessary for road maintenance in hilly and wooded districts, and the limited resources of the County Councils. During the debate on the Bill of 1893 an attempt was made to extend its operation to the whole colony, but this was successfully resisted by Mr Tanner, in the interests of Canterbury. The leading feature of the Bill of this session, when introduced, was that any County Council in the colony could bring the Act of 1893 into operation, and where no County Council existed Road Boards and Town Boards were invested with the same powers. The opposition to this, mostly from the Canterbury members, was very determined, and led to a nearly all-night sitting, in which amendment after amendment, with a view of limiting the operations of the Act, was brought forward and defeated. The Canterbury representatives, however, continued their opposition, and on the question “ that the Bill be now read a third time,” they defeated the measure by a majority of three. As this form of putting the question did not finally dispose of the Bill, it was again brought forward in a full House, and with a number of amendments attached. The Canterbury members then withdrew their opposition, feeling that their object had been gained. By one addition the council of any county which shows an average value of land held in fee simple of over £2 per acre is precluded from taking any steps to bring the Bill into force except upon petition by a majority of the ratepayers of the county. Another new clause gives some measure of relief to the owners of traction engines when the latter are engaged in travelling. In its present shape the measure would have a beneficial effect in the Canterbury district, and it is to be hoped that the Council will pass it into law.

The judge who presided at the trial of the Grassmera rioters in Sydney last week has taken a very heavy responsibility upon himself by recommending that the free labourers should organise and arm themselves, with a view to resist the aggressions of union workmen. The sufferers by the recent outrages are not at all likely to disregard advice of this description coming from such a high authority, and when one side is organised and armed the other will have a very good excuse for placing itself in a similar state of efficiency. The result, of course, will be large bodies of men prowling about the country, armed to the teeth and ready to use their weapons in the settlement of every trifling dispute. Any desperado, whether free labourer or unionist, who wishes to pay off' a grudge against his competitor—or, for the matter of that, against anyone who. may cross his path—will have no difficulty in discovering that his life is in that degree of danger which a judge of the Supreme Court has hold to justify the use of firearms. Then he’can proceed to shoot to his heart’s content, and be sure of some sympathy from at least one of the occupants of the judicial bench. Wq trust that our own Government will make it quite clear to the shearers who are now arriving from Australia that we prefer to settle our labour disputes in our own way, without the assistance of revolvers and carbines. There are several objections to indiscriminate arming, but the all-sufficient one to a well-regulated mind is that it leads to indiscriminate shooting.