The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1867.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1120, 17 June 1867, Page 3

The New Zealand Herald

AUCKLAND, MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1867.

BPECTEMUE AGENDO. u Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice : Take each man's censure, bat reservo thy judgment, ThiP aiove all, —To thi?te own polf be true And it muat follow, as the nleht the rfav. Thou canat not tlien te falso to any m&n."

"We are advancing so far from infancy to youth, that; the same rules for our guidance and government which were applicablo to us some time ago, are no longer so. "We cannot continue to have "all things in "common" in the shape of revenue and expenditure. We have increased the latter so much faster than the forniSr, that we must either have considerably increased general provincial taxation, or caeh branch of the provincial family must be self-supporting, tax itself, and po longer draw its supplies from the parent state, the Province. It is well, therefore, to endeavour to discuss general principles, on which our practice ought to be based, in calm and sober moments, when the mind is not excited by party feeling, and the judgment is not cast from its balance by party views and desires. There are three main questions of domestic concern, which entail; large expense, and which require careful consideration. Our present depressed state, is, to a very considerable extent, caused by the injudicious expenditure of public money. Large sums have been expended on works that profit nothing; on works and objects which we could have done very well without. The expended money brings us in 110 revenue whatever, directly or indirectly, but interest

and sinking fund have to be paid. We have three beacons to warn us of quicksands which have swallowed up a largo sum of money, viz : tlio Railway, the New Supreme Court, aud ths site of the old Supreme Court House. "We shall not shed--tears over this large quantity of spilled milk, but wo trust that all parties will avoid such grcivous mistakes in the future, aud vigorously set to work to deviso new schemes for our altered position, iu a broad and national, rather tliau iu a narrow, selfish, sectarian spirit. The three main questions to which wo alluded to above, arc the roads, the police, and the jail of the Province. AVo have so often endeavoured to impress upon' the authorities and the public the absolute necessity of a thorough change of prison management, having the double object of reducing the expenditure on the jail by at least one half, aud of preventing crime b_\ r reforming the criminal, that wo shall not dwell upon that now; our object at present is to discuss the question of uolico expenditure, aud the funds from wliencc it should be met. Now it is quite clear that events are gradually and, indeed, are now rapidly tending to a complete separation of town and country expenditure. A ditl'crent governing body, under some name or other, must be had for the city of Auckland. Additional responsibilities will be thrown upon the city. Among these will bo the support of the city police. The departure of the troops and of the wandering Arabs, the waifs and strays of society, always accompanying an army in war time, has materially decreased the crime committed in tho Province. The criminal calendar of tho sittings of the Supreme Court just over, as I compared with former calendars for several years past, amply proves this. "With less crime, and a more settled population, it is quite evident wo ought to be able to manage with a less number of those whose duty it is to prevent or to detect crime. The citypolice, therefore, it would appear, ought to be reduced in number ; and as food is very considerably cheaper than it was some time ago, and house-rent also, it is manifest that a less wage now would bo equal to a higher wage when the cost of living was considerably higher. If the city has to maintain its own police, the city will take care not to keep tho establishment at too high an expense. But, considering that Auckland is the receptacle for the criminal population of the Province, we think that the Province should continue to pay a certain, but not very large amount, toward the cost of the city police. Tho country districts which desired to have a regular policeman, would, under the new regulations, liavo to pay him. The suburban and rural police would thus be no longer charged to the general revenue. If Parnell and Xewton, Otahuhu and Onohunga, Papakura or Wangarei, desired a policeman or two, they could have them if they paid for them out of their own pockets. It is quite clear that there can be very little indeed to do lor the country police, and it seems equally evident that a retaining fee of some twenty pounds a-yoar to some respectable resident in certain districts to act as a constable when required, would be all that was really necessary for the country districts generally. .But, as we said before, they could have the luxury of policemen ifthcy paid for them out of their own pockets. A thousand a-yeav, or thereabouts could probably be saved on tho country police alone, and even that sum so saved, and given year by year to the northern districts to meet a similar sum raised by them for road making, would veyr soon have, a most beneficial effect, and prove a capital invest- I ment. I

Of course there would have to be an arrangement of revenue to a certain extent. Local income must; be given to the districts where it is rained. Thus, in the city, the licence fees, for instance, would have to cease to be general Provincial revenue, and handed over to the city authorities, while in the country districts the same principle would have to be observed. The adoption of general principles of this character, will also tend to cheek the growth of what we may call provincial centralism, and by spreading local self-government decrease the vices and expenses of centralised policy in these purely local matters. Por a very considerable expense has to be maintained iix connection with a system, which can be made as if it was really required, whereas the various local bodies can do all that is necessary for themselves, and the staff at head-quarters with large pay and very, little real work to do, might be very easily dispensed with, and the money paid on its account put to a useful purpose by being spent in farthering the settlement of the country. Hoads and turnpike gates form another question that requires consideration, but we must reservo our remarks on it for a future occasion.