THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1881. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 148, 2 July 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1881. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

X Worrls nre things, and a drop «f . ink feUigg likt d«w upon a thought, produoM that WRkee thousands, perhaps wiiU'om think.*'

The Ministry apparently do not re. lish ; tKe demand for ah improvepient m the' system iof 'Local /Government whiohhas just been raised within the ;l»st week,in tne .House of Eepresentatives. "We cannot wonder at this,, because. Government are totally unprepared • . to nieet the demand, arid we question if they are really capable of propounding the desired reform. The thing was attempted last newion; but wa» a mo«t wretched failure, mud, m all probabilities they Can B«e that, «hould they make any attempt it rrform thin seßulbn, they may again fail. U They ueem unable ,to : meet the difficulty anything like »a.nfully l orto make •»

nothing else, to beat their opponents with their own weapons, but m religious terror they avows there, is no necesssity for Local Govern.-* ment Reform, nor does the country:; den aid it. But neither Ministers! nor the Press which serves them/can possibly be ignorant of this strong public feeling which exiffcs 'Upon .the question. There is little doubt however, that the cry as raised " that no reform is needed," is a most convenient one to ministers, it helps them r o;ut of their quandary. Ministerial' organs decry the demand, but the conclusion generally arrived at, is that they are set on ; and truly they do their work well, if we may. take into consideration the effective manner m which they decry the questio&j and £he disregard exhibited by tnem for the public welfare, and prosperity. However, we do not, for a moment believe they can be successful, the loud and authoritative voice .of the public will be heardjahove the miserable wailings of these*ckquers. Jt is well known that since' Pro. vmcialism, was so ruthelisly. ujurdered, the system of Local (Government established has ri Ter%iven i satisfaction. It is also well known that ,t,h at those who'"Jiave had to a^KftnisteP^lecal '.affairs, have never been, enraptured" with the miserable subsjjitftte fgr Provincialism. /I'he powers of bounty Councils are too limited, they partake too much of the -functions of Highway Boards, and not sufficient of the character of Provincial Councils. The Counties Act wa's the means of duplicating- the auth> »ity ;O ver roads and bridges, and, shall we say. multiplying the number of officers, m order to carry it out. This has been one of the chief causes for discontent, and this discontent has been increased by the fa^t that Councfs and Road Boards will quite naturally look upon County Councils as an unnecessary, and cumbrous piece of machinery. Tho fact is, there are and have been t,w 0 district bodies performing the same work, which consequently, has cost nearly, or quite double, the ratepayer, who has to find the money, is little or better served. We would not attempt m savin? this, to reflect upon the Local Bodies m onr midst for, their work has, we admit, been done well ; yet it must be clear to everyone, that the «y*tem has. not worked well. In cases of emergency, settlers very often *r e at a loss to know which bodvto apply to. Agnin often enough the two bodies will levy a rate on the one property, for the . ■ same purpose, and again the settler suffers. A f» r greater portion of the rate money iV-ner^<=sa,rilv •mallowed mrin M, e cost o f collecting consequently the sutlers lo«e so much more of the money demanded from them for the maintenance of their roads, or bridges. They hav e to make two calls, and two payments ■ f r€> .* he one snouH.be sufficient, a^d stm our legislators will declare that there is n 0 reason whr anr reform should be mi^e. It is well known that Local Government has been defective ever since the abnli. *J° n °* Provinces, and no one ev*r thought it would exist very long. The K r ?f tt *' n i eed for reform was not so i ■■?".?■*» so lon^ »8 money w»r • plentiful; \mt the witWrawal of suK «idie&*-Jiaß. ; ta« all th^ difference. We maintain that it ia not necensary that we should have' to experience a mild revolution, or that we should wait until Local Bodies became insolvent before iuch a reform can be effected*