THE FINANCES OF LOCAL BODIES. Wanganui Herald.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5914, 1 June 1886, Page 2

THE FINANCES OF LOCAL BODIES.

Wanganui Herald.

(published daily.)

' TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1886.

Under the above heading the Treasurer, in his Financial Statement, briefly sketched out the proposals of the Government on this much-vexed > question. Briefly, the Treasurer pro- , poses to lend the Local Bodies money at 5 per cent on the security of special rates, and to put away 2 per cent as a sinking fund. It is intended, says the I Treasurer, that these loans shall only be for country districts. If this is so, then "the large municipalities-can say "good--bye" tothe'ir subsidies, and, be, prepared to curtail their expenditure proportionately. 'For years past, these subsidies have been a mill-stone round the neck bf each succeeding Treasurer, each of ■whom would, doubtless, liked to have thrown off the burden, but lacked courage to do so, as there is sure to be a terrible outcry over the stoppage of '< the municipal subsidies. The position ijs plain enough ;, the Colony cannot go' on paying these subsidies out of revenue, and the majority of the/jnemWrs ate against it being done out of loans' j indeed, the latter are to be " ear-marked " and applied strictly towards the purposes they are raised for. The great difficulty we , see ,lies ,in $c fact that in newly-settled, districts the property-holders are not strong enough to stand a special rate for the required funds for main and district roads and bridges, which are in reality as much colonial works as are the railways. The heavy cost of education absorbs £382,914, and is one reason why the Government cannot go on . paying subsidies to Local, Bodies as here- ( tofore, whilst another' is that • the land fund is, in 1 the nature of things, fast dwindling down to very small proportions. When sales were up to and over a million per annum, it was but right, that a- large amount of thia money should be returned to the people for the purposes of opening the country by rdads and- bridges, but now the sales are estimated at but £148,800 for the -current financial year, whilst the expenditureis setdown a't£l 68,752, leaving a deficit to be made up from, general revenue. It is quite clear that either the subsidies hitherto paid must soon be stopped, or that the people must submit to an increase of taxation to provide funds to pay them, as there is a firm determination on all sides that they shall not be paid out of loans in future. The subject is one the people and their Parliamentary representatives will be greatly divided upon, and we expect there will be some very strong debates over the Treasurer's proposals, which wili not meet with favour in many quarters. The trouble is, what better plan can be adopted ? If a better one can be shown we have no doubt but that the Government will readily fall in with it, as they have no desire to in any way embarrass those who carry out the local government of the Colony. If the country wili be satisfied to accept the £190,000 a year on the terms offered, even that sum cannot be counted upon for any extended term of years, withS gUt things take a very much improved I turn and revenue increases faster than 'expenditure. The subject is one which requires close and earnest attention apart from party considerations, as all classes arc virtually interested in it. As a sudden withdrawal of the subsidies would cause an amount of hardship and confusion, the Government propose to limit the annual sum to £150,000, of which half shall come out ofi. loan money. JFor the present, quoting ,the Statement, it is not inrended to make the appropriation permanent, which, reading between the lines, we may take as an intimation that the days of large subsidies to local bodies are fast drawing to a close, and that they will have to depend more upon their own resources than hitherto. I£ they are strong' enough to do so, well and good ; but we doubt whether they are likely to be for many years to come,

as tho country would require to bo more thickly populated before tho land could be taxed so* highly as a cessation of the subsidies would require. The subject has always been a sore one with whatever Government held office, and it does not seem .to be less so to those who are now trying to solve it satisfactorily to all parties. We shall watch with considerable interest how the House will deal with this question when it comes before it for discussion, and hope that it will be debated calmly and free from all party bias, with a view to its satisfactory settlement.

Intending members of the Star Football Club are requested by advertisement to j meet at tho old Counoil Chambers to-morrow (Wednesday) evening at ft 30 o'clock, The Railway Department are advertising for tenders for the lease for fourteen years of a section next to Hogan and Go's store. The timber for the new gaol is now on the ground, but the contractor, Mr Burgeis, has not yet commenced operations. On Thursday evening a sacred cantata, 11 Under the Palms," will bo rendered by the Trinity Wesleyan Church choir, assisted by friends' The soloists will inolude Misses Turner and Nicholaß, Messrs .Lennard and G. Randal, and the whole affair will be under the direction of Mr J. Stevenson. At last night's Parliamentary Union, Mr Wilson gave notice of motion that a cablegram be sent to Mr Gladstone thanking him for his endeavours to secure Home Rule for Ireland, As the motion will open up a field for the dißoussion of Irish grievances, etc, a stirring debate may be anticipated. The Evening Press says it Ib notyet a year since St. Patrick's College, Wellington, was opened for the reception of pupils, and now ( there are 70 boarders, and 46 day hoys, makI ing a total altogether of 116 students. The I staff of professors has now been increased to seven, j An item in the 'Frisco Mail News is that Mr Mills, managing Director of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand,' was interviewed on his arrival in San Francieco, en route to Europe. He spoke hopefully of the cable prospect to connect California with New Zealand, The ironfounders of Sydney have asksd Premier Jennings to grant a preference, of 10 per cent, to colonial tenderers, and to cause an inspection of all articles supplied $o the Government to be made within the .colony, whether manufactured abroad or not, The monthly report for the Hosrtjtal shows that ten were admitted during May; of whom two were females, and eight patients were discharged including one female, There were two deaths — John McLennan of Turakina and Herman Krimer of Marton. 37 patients in all were treated, of whom 25 still remain in the Hospital, while 2 others are boarded out. Late papers mention the death of Lieu-tenant-General H. H. Greer, who took a leading part in the New Zealand war of 1864-66— first at the head of the troops in the Tauranga district, and later with his own regiment, the 68th, at the attack on the Gate Pah, and subsequently commanding at the action of Teranga. He died at Moy, in County Tyrone, on the 26th ult. An unrehearsed scene in the Parliamentary Union was probably one of the most laughable events of last evening. The leader of the Opposition had Becured a copy of a^ telegram, said to be in the possession of the Government, announcing that it was the intention of Her Majesty to bestow one of the Birthday Honours on the Premier (Mr Greenwood). As was done in another place, the Oppositionist congratulated his opponent on the well-merited honour, and, amidst roars of laughter, resumed his seat. In Canterbury several School Committee electrons Have been declared invalid, on the ground t'hafe non-householders "voted. - Those who conducted the elections, or two of them at least, seem to have very curious notions- of the qualification required by voters, as they permitted all in the room to vote. In one case a motion was formally carried, not, however, without opposition from the chairman, to the effeot that every person over 21 years of age present in the room shouUi;be allowed J.Q vote. . _ .. , As Mr and Mrs Cummins were yesterday j driving along -th^roni ,paj3t Shakespeal'a Cliff, some Maori f lnd?, seated on. the' cliff above them, amused themselves by throwing down crackers. Luokily ■ they ctld' not teach the ground till the buggy had passed, but had they exploded just in front of, the horse there is no saying what the results might have been. Detective Benjamin has been informed ol the 'facts, and he intends to .caution, the boys against such pranks in the future. The stagnation in land speculation is at last making itself felt in a somewhat unpleasant way (writea an Auckland correspondent), and quite a number of land syndicates are in trouble ; and although they are chorusing " The land for the people !" the people for the land are not forthcoming. One "plunger" has gone for £4o,ooo (partly secured), who if the allotment mania had lasted would probably have made a fortune. As it is, the blocks which he offered to a confiding public under the solemn assurance that there were "millions in it," do not appear to go 20s in the pound, owing to the sudden termination of the land fever, and he is obliged to look to the bankruptcy court for that relief and sympathy which the BQulless monetary institutions cannot or will not afford.. At length the results of the competition amongst the telegraphists have been made public. The prizes (medals and money) have been awarded as follow.s :— Most proficient all round receiver — Ist prize, Mr Talbot, Dunedin ; 2nd, Mr Kivell, Wellington (in Wanganui at the time of competition) ; 3rd, Mr H. B. Keys, Blenheim. Best sender — Ist prize, Mr Hale, Blenheim. Best receiver — Mr Morley, Christchurch. Best all-round cadet— lst prize, Mr P. J. Thompson, Woodville (now stationed in Napier) ; 2nd, Mr Marryatt, Timaru. Mr Gells' (Wellington) electrical paper was highly commended, and Cadet Kemp, of Waipawa, was specially commended for an electrical paper which he prepared outside the terms of competition, A meeting of the Directors of the Wanganui Steam Navigation Company waa held last night. Present — Messrs Willis (chair), Hatrick, Pcyman, and J. L. Stevenson. The question of the mail subsidy regarding which communications were being made to the Government was held over till next meeting. The managing direotor reported the accident which had occurred through the breakage of one of the cylinder ends j it was resolved to beach the boat and have an alteration made in that portion of the machinery. A letter from Mr Cooke, solicitor for Mr Peyman, warned the Secretary againat paying any more of the arrears of calls into Mr Murray's account at the Bank of New South WalesJ It was resolved that the annual meeting should be held on the 23rd June at 8 p.m. in the Borough Council Chambers, and that Mr Notman be re-appointed auditor at a fee of four guineas. Alterations being required in the cabin Mesßrs Peyman and Hatrick were authorised to attend to them, the cost not to exceed £6: Mr Poison informs us that we were in error in Btating that he had the amended Harbour Rating Bill in his keeping for a fortnight, and had not done anything in the interim to get it passed by tho Board. Mr Poison says he only kept the draft Bill a week, and then brought it into town on the appointed day, when a quorum not being prcseal ho handed it over to nnother member of tho committee. Mr Poison afterwards came to town again with a view to discussing it at the meeting of the committee appointed to deal with it, having, in the fl> st instance, made the alterations which the committee directed to be made in it: The Bryco reception on that date pre* vented a quorum being got together, and ho then left it until the date afterwards agreed on for the adjourned meeting. Ho was a little late on this occasion, and wheu lie went to the Board's office he found three other members had been there, and a quorum not being present had gone away. Finally, an emergency meeting was called which dealt with the Bill; and pasaed it for transmission to tho member for Wanganui, who will pilot it through the Assembly, if possible,

Our Waitotara correapondent wires us to tho effoct that Aporhama Tamaiparua, of Ihupuku, died this morning. Tho deceased was a very old chief, and a loyal supporter ot the Government during tho troublous times of tho past. Ho was also very religious. An advertisement from Mr George Fisher relative to his proposals for the reconstruction of the Government Insurance Association Board, appears in another column, Though the matter will bo finally decided by a, poll of tho policyholders, it will strengthen Mr Fisher's position very inuoh if those policy, holders favorable to his resolutions would forward him proxioo for use at tho meeting ou the 14th June. Proxy forma are obtain, able at the Post Office. Mr Reischek, who has done so much to elucidate the natural history of New Zealand, is an undoubted authority on the sub* ject of diet as well as ornithology. He is necessarily so (saya the New Zealand Herald) because he spends months in localities like Dusky Sound with no companionship but his dog, and ho must Btudy what will best support strength, preserve health, and be most easily transported. It will please all good Scotchmen to learn that he places oatmeal above everything. His dog is the moat Bagacious of its kind. When far in the recesses of the bush, his master has but to say to it, "Now Crcsar, let me go home," when it at once trots off to where the hut has been built. . Without such a dog Mr Reischek could not venture into the bush as he does, because there would be a certainty of being lost. When Mr Reischek has been sick and unable to leave his hut, he has merely to tell Casaar to go and fetch a bird to make soup, when off Crosar goes, and does not come back till he brings with him a kaka or weka, Mr Reischek' finds that to feed Cpsar on flesh would be hurtful, so he gets little but oatmeal. So man and dog get along for weeks at a time on oatmeal diet. Rabbi A. B. Davis, in the course of the' morning service at tho Great Synagogue, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, recently, referred to the Divorce Extension Bill now before the Legislative Counoil. He protested agaiust the classification of Jews and heathenß made by the Primate in a recent address, maintaining that the views of holy wedlock held by the Jews were similar to those held by the members of the Christian Church. After desoribing undor whas conditions the Jews could obtain divorce under scriptural authority he said that during hia twenty-four years' ministry in Newi South Wales, he had only been called upon on two occasions to prepare a " writing of divorce^ ment," and those were carried out under instructions from continental rabbis, Out of some 500 couples married by him in Sydney, only two, or three at inojt, had sought to be divorced at the hands of, Judges of the Matrimonial Court. He attributed this in a great measure to the absence of drunkenness amongst the Jews, and to the fact that they regarded marriage as a consecrated, holy, and indissoluble tie, In a paper on railway matters, read before the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr Mitchelson said: — "A good line could, I think, be obtained by branching off the central line in the inland Patea district;, at a point about 70 to 80 miles from the Marton junction, perhaps less. This line would pass through open country fit for pastoral purposes right through to Napier, thn inland Patea and Tauangarire country being exceptionally good. 1 cannot state exactly the lengbh of this branch line, but should not. think' that it would be greater than from one hundred to one hundred and twenty miles, and the cost of construction should not exceed\ six thousand per mile. This also is a line wtiich should not be allowed to reßt, as it would place Auckland in direct communication with Napier, thereby causing an inter* 'change of products which would be most advantageous to both centres." He cast cold water on the suggested line from Rotorua to Gißborne, saying, "I can say nothing about' this connection, as I have never been in the district ; but from looking at the map I should say it would be a, moat difficult and expensive line to make, and further, I do not think that such a line should ever be made, as fcne water communication is so good." La&t night's meeting of the"Parliamentary Union was one of the most successful yet held, the attendance of ladies especially sorely taxing the accommodotion set apart for them. The minutes of the previous sitting having been confirmed, "Mr Greenwood, Premier, Btated that the vacancy caused by the designation of Mr' Wrightson had been filled by Mr Warren. A motion introduced tyf the latter genilenian \vith regard to Ppverty Flat haviqg been shelved; notice wiigiveis' by Mr '.^ilkamon that he would move in'the direo^ibM of abolishing oaths in allcourtß of Justice; and other plaoes where at present they are deetaed necessary for tho welfare of public morality. Several notices Of question and questions without notice having been disposed ofjtheMinors'.RightaProtec* tion and Capital Punishment Abolition Bills were read a first time. The Premier then moved the second reading of the Public House Management Bill, which has for its object the purchase and maintenance by Government of all hotals and breweries. Mr Greenwood defended the measure on financial and social grounds, stating that the management of publichouses by the Government wonld tend to lessen the drinking habits of the people. Mr Rosa (Defence) seconded, and was followed on the Opposition aide by Mr T. B. Williams (Palmerston North), whose testimony went to show that the adulteration said to exist in beer was not supported by figures ; he argued also that the "trade" were the greatest advocates of temperance properly understood, and always had been. Mr Shepherd(Stoke), in a sensible speech, pointed out that tbe measure would tend to crush out individual enterprise, and that the monopoly would neither have a good social nor financial effect. After the member for Southern Maori (Mr Wrightson) had given an explanation of hia reasons for leaving the Ministry, and alluded in humorous terms to the supporters of the Bill, Mr Loudan (St, John's) spoke from a temperance stand point, arguing the measure either went too far or not far enough, He thought the opinion of lending scientists should be taken on the Subject, and if drinking were found by them to have bad effects it should be stopped at once ; if, on the other hand, it was found to be good, the Government should not interfere. Mr Lloyd (Putiki) supported the measure fromaGovernment point of view, and was followed by the leader of the Opposition (Mr Wilson) who combatted tho arguments of the Premier, and showed that the Gothenburg system on which it was supposed to be based was not at all the same, and also that it had not worked satisfactorily, and would not answer here. He moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr Wilkinson (Nelson) seconded the amendment, criticising tho Bill, which he said waa 1 unworkable, and I objecting to it as a step towards Communism. It having been decided that the debate should not be oloaed that evening Mr Bruce (Post and Telegraphs) replied to the Opposition remarks it), what was undoubtedly tho speech ot the evening, following their arguments up by clo3e reasoning and adducing proof of the necessity for reform in the liquor traffic. Mr Oliver (Newton) moved the adjournment of the debate, and the Premier that of the House, and the House rose at 10 o'clock after a very enjoyable evening. How to Get Sick.— Expose yourself day and night, sit too much without exercise, work too hard without rest, doctor all the time, take all the vile nostrums and imitations advertised, and then you will want to know. How to Get Well —Which is auawered in three words— Take American Co.'s Hop Bittcra ! Read. KKATING'S COUGH LOZNNGES euro Cougha, Asthma, Bronchitis. Medical testimony states that no other medicine is so effectual in the cure of these dangerous maladies. One Lozenge alone gives ease, one or two at bedtime ensures roat, For relieving difficulty of breathing they are invaluable. They contain no opium nor any violent drug. Sold by all Chemists, in tins Is l^d and 2s 9d each. ONE BOX OF CIiARKR'S B 41 PiU 8 is warranted to cure all discharges from the Urinary Organs, in either sex (acquired or constitutional), Gravel, and Pains in the Back- Guaranteed free from Mercury. Sold in Boxes, 4a 6d each, by all Chemists and Patent Medicine Vendors ; Sole Proprietors, The Lincoln and Midland Counties Drug Co., Lincoln England. Wholesale of all the Wholesale Houses,