North Otago Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1886.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6040, 30 April 1886, Page 2

North Otago Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1886.

The publication of the census returns brings into the foreground the consideration of a question which is frequently spoken of as one of real importance to the country. What we iefer to is tho readjustment of the representation of the people in Parliamout. That representation rests upon what is called a population basis. Many public mon, however, take the view that tbe number of representatives is disproportionately large when compared to the population of tbe country and the business which has to be done by Parliament. Nor are these public men peculiar in this respect ; at any rate, whenever their view of the matter is expres-sed in public, it is generally approved of, directly and indiiectly, by rnuny amongst the people themselves. This being the case, and as the representation rests on a population basis, and as the census returns for 188G are just now being made public by degrees, tho question of a readjusted representation naturally presents itself with /a good deal of force and freshness. Indeed, apart from theso circumstances, the question would now necessarily come up for consideration, for the Representation Act, 1881, expires by eflluxion of time on the Ist of December, 1887, and though there will probably be two sessions of Parliament before then, bo important a subject canuot be lelt to the last moment. It will have to be dealt with without fail ia the aession of 18S7, and in order to provide for its being dealt with properly the people and their public men should begin to consider it seriously now, even before the session of 1886.

But supposing all this is done, what need we expect as the result ? There are Borne things which make it unlikely that a question of the kind should be Fiottlorl on a rational basis in New Zealand at the present time. One is, that, districts havo still something to expect in tbe way of Government predilection and favor, through tbo medium of local representatives. Our defective system of local government — the unholy financial alliance which still subsists between the local governing bodies and Parliament — and the abominable extent to which colonial loaus may still be expended on local purposes, are things that are certain to interfere largely with any honest attempt to make the representation of the people in Parliament harmonise more reasonably than H does with the numbers of the people and with the condition and the business of the country. Still, chough these things should be seriously recognised as obstacles in the way, they must not be allowed to deter us from endeavoring to reach the end in view.

That end is a considerable reduction in tbe number of the members of the House of Representatives. At present the House contains ninety-five members, ninety-one representative of the

colof\i<3ts, and four representative of the Maoris. Every man of sense recognises that this representation ie ludicrously and viciously in excess of the population and the needful business of Parliament. In fact the '♦cry excess of the numbers creu <-s business for Parliament which Parliament should never have anything to do with. In this way timo is wasted and money too, and the people hays to pay fot it all out of their own pockets. And yet we daresay that many amongst the people would object to a change in the ris.ht direction; at least it is pretty certain that amongst the members of Parliament themselves a good many would raise the bogey of psuedo- ! public objection to the reduction of the number of the members of the House. At the same time we hope to see a thoroughly honest and comprehensive j attempt being made in the direction of' that change. The European portion of the House should be reduced by thirty or forty member?, and a way should be found for reducing the membership of the Legislative Council to a proportionate extent. If that were done the annual expenses connected with Parliament alone could be reduced by L 20,000 or L 30,000 a year, and the affairs of the country would probably be much better managed than they are now. Why, for example, should all North Otago not do with one member, instead of having representation equal to two-and-a-half as at present 1 We are inclined to think that thia part of the colony would be as well off as it now is, while it is certain the colony as a whole would be much better if a change like that were made applicable to the whole of it. It is to be hoped that the colonists may take up this important question in a manner 'v keepiDg with its importance.

Mails for the Australian colonie3 only, via Melbourne, per Mauapouri, olose at the Bluff at noon on Friday, the 30fch inatant.

Mails for United K'ngdom »nd continent of Europe, specially addressed oorreapon< dence only, close at Lyfctelton, per Coptic, on Saturday, Ist May, at 11 a.m.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's Rimut&k* will leave Auckland for London on the 6th May, instead of the Bth as previoualy adrortibed.

Our correspondent Informs us that the body of James Carswell was found floating in the mouth of the Kakanul river yesterday miming, and that an inquest will be held to-day.

Tho South Australian revenue will, it Is believed, fall short of the Treasurer's estimate by L2CD.OOO. aud it ig expeoted that the Ministry will be foroed to propose io. creases of tbe land and income taxes. On May 1 the 20 per oent redaction on the salaries of the Civil servants (those drawing Ll5O and over) will oome into effeot,

The Garrison corps and band are invited to parade at 5 p.m. to-day, at the railway statioD, in order to Attend the funeral of the late Bugler Walter Penfold, Previous to his removal to Dunodin, Mr Penfold aoted aa bugler to No. 1 Company for Borne time, and it is as a mark of esteem for his memory that the members of the >arioua corps are requested to attend.

The New Zealand Loan and Merontile Agency Company, Limited, h*ve received the following oable message from London, datoi April 27 th : Wheat— Markat i« dull, and quotations remain unchanged. Tallow — The export demand ia good, but the Home demand Is poor. Good mutton and beef tallowa are worth respectively 22a id and 21a per owt, Leather — Market unchanged, Frozen meat— Market 18 quiet. New Zoa. land mutton of 651b to 701b per oaroase la worth s£d per lb, and lambs are worth 6§d per lb.

On nccount of the bad weather at present prevailing, the torpt • - boat Taiaroa, under tho command of Captain Goldie, has been detained here. Instruotlona were firat ieaucd to leave under convoy of one of the Union Company's steamers, but none being available in the early part of the week, Captain Goldie received inatruotiona to leave for Port Chalmers if tha weathor waa reported farorable at that p^rt before the Taiaroa lef c Oamaru. Ab the weather was seen to be breaking it was deemed advisable not to risk the sofety of the orew and the boat. She will, therefore, remain here until tho first favorable opportunity ooours,

We are pleased to find that the return upon whioh we base ' the remarks appearing in yesterday'd iesue with reference to the population of Waitakl County waß not oorrect. Tbe ridings of Otekaike and Ahurlrl were omitted, and as these plaoes contain a population of 819, the total for the county is in excess of that of 1881. In 1881 the population was 6955, and it in now 7672, an increase of 717. This ia ao far gratifying, because with the la-ge area of land opened up for settlement siooe 1881, it would have be6n anything but encouraging to find that, notwithstanding tho settlement of people on these lands, the population had decreased. This could only have come about by the absorption of small holdiugs by large ones — a phase nf settlement thac cannot be good for the country aa a whole. Taking the borough? of Hampden and Oa-naru and tbe county we now have a total population of 13,473. or an increase of 400 ou that of 1881. We may stale in thia connection that the settled population of the borou. ha and district ii perhaps 700 more than It was in 1881, ar>o* for this reason ; In 1881 there were 60,994 acrei un^er crop of one kind or Jinother, and in 1886 thnre wore only 35,193 aorea, and whoreag in 1851 reapers and binders were to*, a factor iv agriculture, in 1886'thore wan hardly a f»rm without them It la theref>ro oloar that thero were between 300 and 400 more men employed in harvesting In 1881 (who had not left the place whoa the census was titen) than there were this 5 ear. Nearly all of these men left tho district shortly after harvest was over, aud would not return till their services were required the following year. vVe are without this floating papula, tion now, and while their absence makes a material difference to the population of the town, it is quite safe to assume that bad the conditions of the harvest of 1886 been the naiuo «s in 1881 there would have been little apparent difference in the population of Oamaru in the two census years, 'lhia points to the fact that we have gained in settled population, but lost our floating population owing to the circumstances mentioned above. The following ia the population of tho different road districts and ridings : Road districts— WaicaW, 1916; Waiareka, 1355 • Kakanni, 1346 ; Ofcepopo, 1301. RidlDgs-Awamoko, 495; Moeraki, s^o; Otekaike and Ahuriri, 819. There are 146 dwellings in the tyro last named ridings, i»U of which are occupied.

Peter Cokmack, Tailor and Clothier, Tees Streot, ia now showing a Large and Well '"-elected Stock of Gentleman's Tweeds and Coatings, imported direct. Also, a Large Variety of (Jamam Tweeds. Suite to measure from 70a. Trousers to measure from 17s. Fit, Style, and Workmanship qua* ranteed. First-class Genta' Hosiery, Regatta Shirts, Scaifs, Collars, etc. ; the beat and cheapest in town. Peter Cojrmack, Tees Street, Oamaru.

Local Option. — Although doctors do not believe In "local option" (when their patients' diet is in question), they are strong advocates of prohibition. Frequently, for instance, they prohibit the use of tea, and order instead ' Cad bury 'a Cocoa Essence." But they know what they are doing, for the Utter article meets every possible requirement that health, appetite, and economy can euggoßt.