LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1158, 1 July 1885, Page 4

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

• We propose (said the Treasurer in his Financial Statement last week) to repeal ,the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, but to fulfil the obligations incurred under' it. We propose that part of tliu charge of the subsidies sha'l for five years come out of loans, but tha 1 sum to be given from this source will be very much less than .we have, beeu in ihe practice of taking for these .purposes from borrowed money. The amount of divides we shall snbmitj" is not exceeding £300,000 per annum for 25 years, of which one half forfive years shall be provided by loan. We propose that in this amount shall bo contained some special subsidies to goldfields counties, and we intend still to continue the rating of Crown lands, but the • Crown's is not to extend to rates beyond three farthings in the pound. We shall submit a proposal to give power to the Governor to arrange with the local bodies for making roads specially required to open lands newly aold or about to be soli. I cannot refrain from adverting to onp special power which we desire to place , at the optional . disposal of local bodies— a power which ia as beneficent as it is likely to be profitable. I allude to the! provision for dwelling-houses with smajl areas of land attached for laborers all qver the country at moderate rents on ,tern»s of purchase by instalments. Suppose, to take an example, that a local body puts up a house at a<cosfc of £80 on a piece of land of the value of £40, the total cost would yield a return at 4s a week with a right to the fee-simple in about 14 years, or 5s with a right to the fee-simplo in about ten years. We propose to except these dwellings whilst under lease from seizure for debt. They may be erected by hundreds all over the Colony. They | will give to laborers resources and means of comfort, the want of which has been apparent in this Colony, and is painfuLly apparent in older countries. The local bodies will run no risks, for these properties will constantly acquire additional value and be good security for the liability upon, them. As to these properties', I am supposing that they will ■be erecteu in the vicinity of towns and country townships, and they will become, within the periods mentioned, of great value. It is intended the subsidies shall be one-half 'for the present year. The reason is this : It is necessary to fulfil all the engagements undgr the Koads and Bridges Construction Act, and the amount required for the purpose is very large, and a-half year's subsidy for the present year seems sufficient. The amount of £300,000 which I have just mentioned is the maximum amount which will be allowed, and based on terms estimated according to the present rates, will amount to about £250,000, and for this year one half of that will be £125,000. We submit that for this year the consolidated revenue shall contribute £75,000 of that amount, and that £50,000 shall be contributed from the public works fund. The subsidies will include small contributions to towns, and larger ones to road districts and counties. This is irrespective of the treatment which we propose to adopt with charitable institutions and hospitals.