The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1895.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1769, 1 June 1895, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1895.

The Premier returned a somewhat unsatisfactory answer to the request of the local bodies that they might be supplied with copies of the new Local Government Bill before its introduction m the House. He promised that the copies should be forthcoming after the introduction but before the second reading, which would be fixed for a reasonable date so as to give ample time for discussion. But it seems that the first appearance of the Bill m the House will not be till nearly the end of July. Considering the great importance of the measure and the large number of local bodies whose interests will be affected by it, we are afraid that the interval between the first and second reading will be far too short for the country to make up its mind as to the Premier's legislative effort. On the other hand, if the interval is extended so as to permit of ample intelligent criticism out of doors, the work m the House and Council is likely to be carried through with a rush, and then there will be the usual batch of blunders and technical uncertainties which do so much to render New Zealand legislation ridiculous. The fact is that the Bill should have been drafted long before the present time, and should have been distributed at the earliest possible moment. Of course it might have been if the Premier and his colleagues had stuck to their offices a little more closely instead of gadding about the colony making innumerable speeches and eating innumerable banquets. But even if the final drafting of the Bill had been necessarily delayed, the public might have been treated to an intelligent forecast of its main features. As far as our recollection serves, nothing of the kind has been attempted, though all sorts of vague rumours are abroad. The first story was that the Premier meant to make a wholesale attack on the system of local government m all its branches, leaving only a very few bodies to do all the work of the country, The announcement was

stated to be official or semi-official, but was subsequently contradicted when an adverse public opinion was expressed. How far the contemplated changes will reach is more than we can say, but it is perfectly clear that the utmost caution should be exercised, or the last state of the country may be worse than the first. It is generally admitted that there are too many local governing bodies and that m some directions there is a waste of power as well as an unnecessary overlapping of duties. But there is very far from being a consensus of opinion as to what ought to b$ wiped out and what ought to be allowed to remain or be merely modified. We had a paragraph yesterday, stating that the Bill would provide, amongst other things, for the simplification and readjustment of the boundaries of local bodies' jurisdiction. Some useful changes might be here and there effected m regard to that matter; but- after all it is not oi the first importance, and is certainly not worthy of the grand flourish of trumpets with which the promise of a new local government scheme was ushered m. The public are anxiously awaiting information, and as is usual with the gentlemen now m offioo there is a disposition to keep it back, An the counties to go, or the roac districts, or the town districts ? Art municipalities to be interfered witl and adjusted ? Is charitable aid t( be put on a different footing ? W< repeat that one of the grounds o complaint against the present sys tern of local government is that it i; too complex, puts too much maclii nery to work, and makes too large demands on the time of those wh( are induced to take part m publi< affairs. A multitude of boards anc councils is, we suppose, unavoid able m carrying on the business o: a free and civilised country, bui every reasonable effort should b< made to keep down the number. I the Premier has a good plan for ac complishing that object and car bring it about without causing mucl local friction he will deserve th< thanks of the community, but mean while he should speak out and tel the people what his intentions are