THE WAIRARAPA STANDARD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1876.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume 6, Issue 508, 30 November 1876, Page 2

THE WAIRARAPA STANDARD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1876.

Taxas is one point in connection with recent legislation, of no little interest to the settlers of the Wellington Provincial district, to which we are not aware that attention has yet been called. Under the Highways Act of the Provincial Council the highway rales were fixed by law. The Bating Act of the General Assembly repeals this amongst other provisions, and it will now remain for the several Road Boards themselves to decide the amount of the rate to be levied. This is a most important alteration, to which serious attention cannot too soon be directed. Up to the present time no objection has been taken to. the existing rate; but it is obvious that if we are to have a county rate, as well as Road and Local rates this feeling of satisfaction will not long continue. We have heard with no little surprise that there has been some doubt expressed as to the intention of the Legislature on this subject. It is quite certain that the County Councils can levy a distinct rate in addition to that levied by the Road and Local Boards. The whole principle of the financial Arrangements Act is that the assistance to be given by the Government is to be proportionate to the amount raised by rates. After a time it will be discovered that our cry for a change has been successful in procuring for ns the services of King Stork in place of King Log. If it should be determined that the County Councils shall have charge of all the main or through roads of the County, and it should be found accessary to levy a rate of fid in the pound for that purpose, it will perhaps be found nndesirable to levy more than fid in the pound, instead of la as now, for the construction and maintenance of merely district highways. This will bo necessary, if additional taxation is not to be imposed; though, should this be done, the Road Boards will only have half the subsidy to which they would otherwise be entitled. It will be found, as we long ago pointed out, that the Counties Bill, instead of giving us additional powers of local government only supplies us with additional taxing machinery, if we choose to bring it into operation. It will be observed that so far as the Highway dstrict* are concerned the •t>OT6 additional taxation may b© obviatad by the Road Boards not levying more than half the present rate, and by the County Council not imposing a higher rale than fid in the pound. This, however, will not be the ease with regard to the Imeal Boards. The Local Board district* are excluded from the Highway distriete and ate cornea nenJy relieved from the payment of highway rates. Bat ads isi not Urn esse with regard to the Oenaties, Any rate imposed by the Gouty Council wfllkave to be paid into

paid to the Local Board, and the only way this can be avoided will be either to { return Councillors who will refuse to bring the Counties Act into operation, or, what would perhaps be better, petition to be brought under the operation of the Municipal Corporations Act. Greytown and Masterton probably possess sufficient population to enable them to corao under the provisions of that Acc, and this must shortly be the case also with regard to Featherston and Carterton. By getting themselves procliamed boroughs they will obtain for themselves the local foes and license money, which otherwise will go to the County fund, as well as save themselves from the County rates, which they may be assured will not be devoted to town improvements, but be devoted to County expenses and purposes exclusively. There can be no doubt that the powers given under the Municipal Corporations Act are much superior to those conferred by the Local Boards Act, and the only reason why we were so strongly in favor of the latter being retained was to prevent the several townships from being deprived of their local governing bodies, and from consequently being placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of a County Council, which would be totally incapable of attending to their purely local affairs and requirements. This will not be the case if they get themselues constituted boroughs under the Municipal Corporations Act of last session; Probably when Greytown Masterton, and the other townships in Wairarapa vVest, which possess sufficient population for the purpose, find what evils in the shape of County rates they will avoid, and what benefits in the shape of license and other fees, and Government subsides they will receive by being constituted boroughs, they will lose no time in taking the requisite steps for that purpose. What is required to costitute a borough under the new Act is an area of not more than nine square miles, and a population of not less than 260 resident householders. The matter is worth considering.