Marlborough Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1886.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1913, 23 July 1886, Page 2

Marlborough Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1886.

The policy-holders of the Government Insurance Asscciat'on, notwithstanding their recent foolish action in recording their votes for the nominee of Mr George Fisher, have, under the circumstances, done the best thing possible in deciding for the resolution to hand the affairs of the Association back to the control of the Government. We say, the best thing possible, under the circumstances, because, while we do not think it was necessary to resort to this extreme step, we recognise that the policy-holders of the Association have chosen the least of two evils, and it was better to adopt the motion for handing the control of the Association back to the Government than to allow the Association to be controlled by Mr George Fisher. The decision of the policyholders, to use a colloquialism, is a very nasty jar for Mr Fisher and those obampions who, a short month ago, were so aelf-asseitive and vain in their position and so virulent in their language against all who opposed them and their views. The (

question of reconstruction, as we have frequently pointed out, does not rest with the however, but with Parliament, and, whilst Parliament may agree to accept the decision of the policy*, holders and legislate in the direction of handing over control of the Association to the Government, it is quite possible that some alternative proposal may be adopted. So far, however, the victory has gone in the right direction, and we can congratulate the policy-holders upon their decision. Especially do we commend the wisdom of the Marlborough majority who, notwithstanding the advice tendered by the champions of Messrs Fisher and Shannon, have taken our view of the matter and decided for the better proposal.

From a paper presented to Parliament the other day, on the assessed values of the rateable value of prp-. perty in the Colony, we gather that the assessment for 1882, for the boroughs of the Colony, was L 21,607,897; for the counties, L 32,377,098. In 1885 the figures were boroughs L 66,274,543; counties L 64,455,542. The totals for 1882 were L 93,882,440; for 1885 L 96,832,640. The proportion of Crown Pastoral Lands on which rates are payable by the occupiers is included in the figures for 1882; for 1885 this proportion amounted to L 3,700,000, thus bringing the total for 1885 up to L 100,532,640. Following are the figures for this district. In 1882 the assessment for the Borough of Blenheim was L 255,896; in 1885 it had increased to 1.390,351. In 1882 the assessment for the Borough of Picton was L 83,361 ; in 1885 the assessment had decreased somewhat and was fixed at L 74,843. In 1882 the assessment for the counties of Waimea, Sounds, and Marlborough, was respectively L995.017,L57,470, and L 1,393,764, In 1885 the figures for che same counties, were, respectively, L 1,058,603, L 38,294 and L 1,543,285.