The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1896. GOVERNMENT LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 219, 9 October 1896, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1896. GOVERNMENT LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES.

An Amending Act to the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act has been passed by the House of Representatives and has also passed its second reading in the Council, so that it may almost be looked on now as law. When the Bill was introduced it was stated to be merely to explain and make clear what is the present law, aud to simplify the law in regard to loans to local bodies where experience has shown that to be necessary. This statement, however, proves to be thoroughly misleadiug, for the Act deals a fatal blow at the settlement and progress of the country between Taungatara and Stony River. It is fully apparent that the land is not worth occupying unless settlers have roads metalled. The Trustee will not make these roads, neither will the Government. The rate revenue is totally inadequate to doing such works, and therefore the only method left was for the settlers under the Loans to Local Bodies Act to raise the money This the settlers considered very hard on them but they had no alternative, as unless they did so their selections would be of very little value. In the Amending Act we see by Hansard that clause 7 provides " No loan shall be granted under the principal Act on the security of any special rate unless:—(l) The rateable value of so much of the rateable property as consists of Native lands or Crown lands is less than twothirds of the rateable property on which the rate is levied." The Hon. Mr W. C. Walker stated " it had been found that, in certain places where there is & large area of Crown or Native land, the present tenants possibly have only a tenure for a limited number of years—not so long as the currency of ihe loan—and it is therefore thought expedient that they should not be allowed to pledge the property for purposes which their successors possibly would not approve of." If this Amending Act finally passea into law it will effectually kill the progress of settlement in this district, as most of the by roads run through native lands exclusively, and without loans there is no probability of roads being made during the lifetime of this generation. Mr El win wishes us to accept his word that the members of the Government, a majority of the members of the House, the Public Trustee ond all other persons in high places are now convinced of the unjust position of the lessees, and have assured him they will spontaneously take stops to put matters right, whilst at the same time they are putting an act through to make the lessees' holdings next door to valueless to them. We have always understood MrElwiu had quite as much to do with getting the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892, on the Statute Book, as Mr Ballance had ; and that no measure of importance was ever iutroduced without being first submitted to him for approval. It therefore s ems peculiar that a measure of such importance and injury to the members of the league should have been passed in the without Mr Elwiu even kuowing auything of it.