Government Promises.

Otago Witness, Issue 1899, 13 April 1888, Page 8

Government Promises.

In addition to paying attention to agricultural education the Government promise a democratic county government bill, some relief of local taxation, a properly organised department of agriculture, and a satisfactory railway bill. If they carry out this programme in good faith they will give great satisfaction to farmers. I do not know that the great body of farmers care much about a department of agriculture, or that they are very ardent in their desire to have representative county government, but they care a good deal about local taxation and the prevention of railway exactions and preference rates on foreign produce. I fear they will not feel much relief in rates, on the contrary, there is some season to believe that new expenses will be incurred under a fresh system of county government, especially through the alteration of districts, which will probably lead to new workhouses having to be built in districts now short of them. Whether the Railway .Bill will effectually prevent preference rates or not remains to be seen. Unless it is altered since it passed the House of Lords last year it will not, and in that case it will not be accepted. A few days ago it was declared by one of the Ministry that the bill would be introduced unaltered, but a good 'deal of this has since been made, and Lord Jersey, president of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, has given notice of moving on the measure a second time a resolution declaring that no general bill on the subject will be satisfactory if it fails to prohibit preference rates on imports of foreign goods. Many other supporters of the Government are also very much in earnest upon this question, and it may be that they have produced a good effect. Freetrade our farmers must put up with for the benefit of the community ; but it is monstrous that railway companies should be allowed to give bounties to their foreign competitors.