THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1874.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3862, 3 July 1874, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1874.

We can sympathise.to a very great ex-; tent with Mr G. F. Richardson's; wounded 'feelings when!- lie- saw in the columns : o£.the newspaper that a. warrant had been issued against himself—;i and O'FA-RRBLib' ■ It'is hot a-;pleasant'] association- ofr ideas which is thus rog-ij gested; but then, after all, the Waste Lands Board s cannot --be' expected to!] apologise for an--unfortunate coinci-j dence. The " Hanging Committee " of! the Royal Academy have had still moreJ awkward -things, to contend against, il but we never heard that they required i| or received an apology. We under--stand that some unfortunate citizens! are addressed on their letters as " next! dogr K to, the Lunatic Asylum," but we think' (we cannot,' of course, be ceitain) that euch an address would not come within the law of libel. Again, it might be necessary to -describe a man as working on Bell Hill, and the suggestion of cropped hair and the broad arrow and slouched hat at once makes itself felt. These things, however, cannot be helped, and we think that Mr Richardson was ill advised to demand an apology, and the Waste Lands Board was quite right to refuse one.-' Of course the unhappy coincidence above noted..was. the mete surface consequence of a deeper matter, which admits of much difference of opinion The real question is, at what point in the conduct of their business is a body like the Waste Lands Board, justified in ; proceeding to put the law in force against those who have omitted to pay assessment. It appears that, the . statute under which they act renders a defaulter liable to the issue of a distress warrant against him after thirty days ; have elapsed from the service of a notice upon him. Mr Richardson it seems was technically, and according to the strict interpretation of the law, which it was his business as a citizen to understand, a defaulter y though it is quite plain that he,was no defaulter at all in the ordinary acceptation of the word. Was the Waste Landsßoard thenj ustified inactiugaccordingtotheletter of thelaw? j In the general interests of the public, j we think the question must be answered I in the affirmative. We are all aware how very differently the public regards a debt due to an official body like the Board in question, as compared with a \ debt due to some private individual. \ There can be no reason why a rent or j assessment due to the public trustees j

should not be regarded in the same^ light and paid with the same promptitude as a bill or a rent due' to'some creditor or landlord of unofficial position. It has become too much the habit amongst us to speak, of such a matter as being only due to the Government, and therefore, as by no means pressing; to be settled after everything else has been considered. In the case in point, it was clearly Mr Richardson's business to be acquainted with the law. Every citizen is pi-e----sumed to know the laws under which he lives, and it is a maxim well understood, that ignorance cannot be pleaded. The Ranger, it appears, served the notices and reported his action, and though the neglect to pay was, morally, no neglect at all, there can be no doubt that it was, technically and legally, an -offence. Was the Board, then, justified itl proceeding to harsh measures at onee1? We say again it was. Although they might, no doubt, have easily got the money without issuing a warrant, a certain delay—a certain correspondence—a certain amount of expense and labour—would have been incurred by doing so which they did well to avoid. Their prompt and decisive action will probably have the effect, in hundreds of other instances, of ranking people pay up promptly, to the infinite advantage of the public interests. Someone must be the first victim, and we think the Board acted well in taking first a gentleman whose ability to pay was beyond all doubt, so that, in theiuturej everyone, might understand that payments must be made punctually, and that the element of time was of importance. Mr Richahdson must console himself by knowing that he ha* been of considerable advantage to the commonwealth, and that he has done a public good at the expense of private suffering. There can be no reason why payments of assessments, et Jooc genus omne, should not be made with the same precision as mercantile debts, and the Waste Lands Bard has done its best to ensure a future regularity in its tenants.; Concerning the other matter which: came up at Wednesday'smeeting^ we cannot but admit that the Board has!; been very greatly in error.'. Everyone1 must have noticed the extreme uncertainty which seems to have prevailed in their decisions. 'Sometimts, as was' justly remarked upon Wednesday, the; Board has been in the habit of deciding in the absence of the par-' ties concerned, and overturning, foraier decisions ' with a 1" readiness and rapidity which was positively startling; to those who know how the Board, wasj composed. We think the Board badly: in want of a few fixed regulations toj guide their proceedings,.,and we trust! that it will ere long provide itself with] such, to the great convenience of the! public. There are two ways of manag-j ing these matters—either to proceed! upon the despotic principle, simply con-: trolled by the good sense and fairness; of the members deciding, or to prpceedj by strict rules, such as govern the Law* Courts. We take it that if the former; and freer method be adopted as innVic- \ toria, it is absolutely ■ .necessary* to ,ex-j elude paid agents, or, indeed, anyone! but the parties concerned, from making! applications. The- better plan will] prove to be the adoption of a codel of regulations''of "as simple a cha-i racter as possible, which, can .be cir-j culated through the country, andj which will render i^ unnecessary for? men to come in a long way uporra' fruitless errand.to find that the STveet; will of the Board, has interpreted the] Act upon a method of their own, and! that they must submit or go to the! Supreme Court for redress. There) have been too many of these threatened! actions lately ; the Waste Lands_*Board| is in a false position, jwliea it fintis* itself; .continually threatened with actions. ,Its proceedings should "be of such' a character as to be almost always undis-J puted, since there is nothing necessarily] obscure in the matters with which it has to do. If MrCoNNEtLand fche Chief Commissioner will lay; their; heads'together, I and invent some plain code ; .of-.rales,} they will deserve the hearty thaoks ofj intending landowners!. ;; >'•;"''•!..'.'/ '■;,.:n'\