The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1738, 29 July 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1874.

According to the Premier's showing the total indebtedness of the Colony is now £12,500,000, involving an annual charge of £777,000, of which £554,000 has to be paid by th» Colony, and £243,000 by the Province!. When the policy was inaugurated; it was laid down that the Provinces should contribute to the repayment of, loans in the proportion by which they were benefitted „by the: expenditure. The charges for interest and sinking fund wero to be paid by a claim on the land revenue, and, if that failed, then by gpecial taxation to be raised in such Province. Wow it would appear that this principle is to be abandoned, and the required amount, it is stated, will be made a first charge on the Customs revenue. On this matter the New Zealand Herald says,:—*' In 1870, when this Policy began, Auckland paid nearly a fourth of the Customs revenue of the colony, and had a fair right to that proportion of any liabilities thrown upon it. But it was then held that each province should be respon-

sible for the money expended within it, and should pay in land if it could not from the ordinary revenue. We held from the first that *he policy was impracticable, and now, after appropriations have 1 been made in, accordance with it, the policy is suddenly abandoned, the land revenue is to continue"free, a.nd the whole burdtn is thrown ' Upon the "Customs. Here we hare a clear and distinct new departure." Assuming this to be the intention of the Government, it will be at once apparent that a great injustice will be done to Provinces and districts not directly benefitted by the Public Works and Immigration expenditure, or benefitting to a lesser degree than others more fortunately situated. The annual charge on nearly £600,000 will be a tax of some £2 a head on the population of 300,000; towards which a district like the Thames will have to contribute some £25,000 annually, without receiving any benefit whatever from the money expended. The water works are of course being cop-' structed out of the bans, but if they should cost £100,000, at five per cent, the interest on that sum would be £5000; the balance of £20,000 per year being mulcted from the people as a contribution towards paying for railways, immigration and other public works from which we derive, no benefit. The original principle of the policy would have laid the burden on those Provinces reaping the most benefit ; shifting it to the Customs revenue will be taxing districts which are practically excluded from participating in the benefits of the policy, and will deprive them cf the trifling moiety of revenue hitherto returned in the shape of capitation; for with such a vast sum chargeable on the Customs,' increasing year by year, and the necessity for new loans, the remainder of the revenue will be more than absorbed by expenses of, Government, unless the Customs revenue should increase to an extent not anticipated.

Two persons were fined in nominal penalties at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday last for neglecting to comply with the provisions of " The Public Health Act, 1872," in the matter of vaccination of infants. These cases were brought by the Registrar of births and deaths for the Thames, in order, as stated in Court, to give publicity to the fact that the requirements of. the above-mentioned Act must be complied with. It is not often that persons deliberately set the law on this matter at defiance, but occasionally, through.carelessness or forgetfulness, instances arise in which parents or guardians render themselves amenable to certain penalties. On registering a birth the person registering it is furnished with a printed form giving succinct directions as to the mode of procedure to be adopted in procuring the vaccination of the child. Vaccination is rendered compulsory within six months from the birth of the child. If performed by the Public Vaccinator, no charge is made, but the parent or other person must take the child to the Public Vaccinator by whom: the operation was performed, in order that lie may see if such vaccination has been successful or not, and also to take from the subject lymph for other vaccinations. If unsuccessful the operation may be again performed, and subsequently iuspected. Neglect of these provisions incurs a liability to prosecution, and a fine, on conviction, not exceeding forty shillings. Vaccination may be performed by any duly qualified medical practitioner, in which case a certificate is duly filled in and given to the parent or guardian for transmission to the Registrar. In the event of a child not being in a fit and proper state for vaccination within the six months, a certificate must be obtained, when the operation may be postponed for any term not exceeding two calendar months. In case of a child being found to be insusceptible of vaccination a certificate to that effect must be obtained. On vaccination being performed successfully a certificate must be obtained. If performed by the Public Vaccinator he forwards the certificate to: the Registrar ; if by any other medical practitioner the parent or other person is responsible for sending the certificate. This is in nowise a troublesome matter, nor does it entail expense. Put into an envelope and addressed to the Registrar endorsed "on vaccination business " or some other characters of a similar pur-; port, the letter goes free of postage ; so that it requires but the smallest amount: of attention to the directions given to enable persons to comply with the law ; thus saving.themselves.needless vexation by a prosecution. It should, however, be born* in mind . that .vaccination, must be: performed and certified to by a medical practitioner. However experienced ■" old wives " or nurses may be, their services; in this respect are not considered sufficient for the requirements of the Act in the matter of vaccination for infants. They may perform the operation successfully, but they cannot give the necessary certificate'which will hold parents mdem-

nified against the action of the law. The operation is a delicate one, and it is right that it should be performed under proper restrictions, because a trifling mistake in the modo of operation or want of knowledge in extracting the lymph might be the cause of incalculable misery— greater than than that which vaccination is intended to avert.