Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JULY 20,. 1878. " MEASURES. NOT MEN "

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 792, 20 July 1878, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JULY 20,. 1878. " MEASURES. NOT MEN "

We cannot say that we are at all enamoured by the speech of the Attorney- General to his Dunedin constituents. The franjc, manly style in which Mr Stout treats every public question, he discusses, commands the admiration of friend and foe alike; but 1 his mental vision .has become wofully distorted by certain peb theories he entertains on some subjects — prominent amongst which we might place the Local Option Bill. On this subject, like that oi Evolution, it may be said that Mr Stout is fairly crazed. 'We believe the strongest opponent of last year's Local Option Bill would not object to apply the principle to the establishment of new houses, but to place the closing of respectably con^ ducted houses in the hands of any rabid clique (for it amounts to that) or body, of men, without some provision being made tb?compensate those peisons deprived of their means of livelihood f and the property rendered valueless by such action, is a thing so monstrously unjust that "we feel satisfied that nd assembly of reasonable men would ever sanction it. To the very reasonable

demand that com penaa^on. should" be allowed to any person whose licence might .cancelled at a moment's notice lecAis Hear what Mr Stout says. "Gentlemen," he asks, "I would like to know what is the compensation for 1 I say, that it is far better for a man to say thafcjte is against "th? Local Option Bill bhan to favor compensation. What is the compensation for? Is ib for loss of license? Nobody proposes to bake the li- j cense away until it has run out; and that is all the State makes a bargain for. It says, 'For consideration of a certain sum you shall have the right to sell liquors for twelve months,' and the State fulfils its contract by allowing the privilege for one year. The next year the Bench may refuse to grant a license, and who has broken a contract, or ;what right has the publican for compensation at all ? I ask you to look at this question .of compensation in another light. I want to know what is the compensation for ? Is it compensation for the building ? Nobody proposes to take the building. Is it compensation for trade? , Nobody proposes to take the- trade, from them. All that is proposed is that they shall not sell liquor." Was ever such sophistry as this concocted to further any 'good cause ? The concluding sentence of our quotation was received with laughter by. the audience, and we do not wonder at it. If the Local Opbion Bill can find no sounder arguments in ibs favor than those put forward by Mr Stout, we fear it will be like some of those Utopian Bills introduced by private members of the House of Gomraons, which have never gained any increased support through a long series of years, but which, nevertheless, members are still found to bring forward with a persistence worthy of more practical measures.

On the new system of local government, All- Stout pursued, in bis speech, a studied silence. Probably the ques-' tion does nob affect Dunedih to the same extent that it does the country districts, and as he was addressing his Dunedin cpnstituents, he did not consider it necessary to touch upon that' point. But-it is one of vast importance jio country, districts, and wo expected to hear some exprsssion of opinion from one holding so high a position in the Government. In that branch of his subject in which he treated of administrative reform, there is one sentence which gives us reason to hope the Q-o-vernment do nob propose reverting to a species of Provincialism in the form of Boards of Works, which we look upon with the utmost disfavor. Etc said :— r "There must, as everyone admits, be a reduction in the expense of Government. How is that to be obtained 1 I believe it is to be obtained by the judicious amalgamation of offices, by 'decentralisation, by casting upon public ' bodies functions that cannot possibly be performed by the best governed public body in WeL--lington." This we consider the grand secret of the Government of the 'future — not to centralise, but to decentralise ; to give to existing local governing bodies increased means and extended powers. For instance, by giving Counties the charge of the various reserves in the County ; by constituting each Council the Wasbe Land Board of the County; and by increasing bo a large extent the borrowing powers of Counties. By these and other means, the County sysbem may be nurtured and developed inbo a "sbrong, healthy insbitubion, powerful for good, and enthely suited to the requirements of this young and vigorous colony.