The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal : Established 1875. SATURDAY, OCT. 27, 1883. FINANCIAL AID TO BOROUGHS.

Manawatu Times, Volume IX, Issue 395, 27 October 1883, Page 2

The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal : Established 1875. SATURDAY, OCT. 27, 1883. FINANCIAL AID TO BOROUGHS.

We think it is quite time the minor Borough* brought some pressure to bear on the Government m order to obtain financial assistance. Until the subsidies . were abolished, the Borough Councils shared with the other local bodies on the £ for £ of rates collected system. But when the subsidies were abolished the Boroughs were cut off altogether from financial assistance, and were left to depend entirely upon themselves. The result bas been that ever since the Borough Councils have metaphorically had their noses to the grindstone, and there has either been an increase of rates or the curtailing of usefulness. Our object just now is to set the ball rol* ling, by raising the question for discussion. State aid is now given to local bodies only through the Koadsand Bridges Construction Act, bu£ Boroughs, are distinctly shut out from the benefits of that Apt. Money is lent for distript roads on most favorable terms, and three«four.ths of the cost of so«called main roads, but; which m nearly every case are purely local roads, is unconditionally given to County Councils under the Act. Now, for the North Island particularly, this Act is a good one, and means greatly assisting settlement; but why should its benefits be so absolutely shut off from Boroughs ? We m Palmersf;on,havn ing a small rateable value, and therefore a small inootne, have already had to go to capitalists and borrow £10,000, at au average of nearly 8 per cent., and we shall have to go to them again shortly for an equal sum. This money has been wanted to enable people ta get to the land they bought from the Crown, and more is now wanted to drain the town, and preserve the health of the inhabitants. Yet the residents of Foxtbn, Carnarvon, and Sand on, receive for a local tramway — digni~ fied into a "main road" for the nonee — some £20,000 m hard cash frpra the Government, of whioh they are asked to return £5000 'm ten years! Now, why ; snoi?ld the 'farmers of Carnarvon and'Sandon enjoy an enormous expenditure upon a work no one outside their own district cares a straw about;, while the Boroughs of Palmerston, Feilding, Marton, and other places are compelled to pay up to 8 per cent, for any loans they want, no njaflter fyow necessary the expenditure may t?e ? Jf ever aftpwp wanted a drainage service Palmerstpn dpes ; aad should -not the .health fii our,

town be as important a matter to flip Svate as the growth of a few thuns.ind. extra bushels of wheat m Sandon, or the cheapening of the carriage of what is grown by a penny or twopence per bushel ? We select the tramway as the neaiest il-< lustmtion to hand, but there are others quite as forcible if space would permit - The expenditure low going 1 on under the Roads and bridges Construction Act. is calcuited to greatly enhance the valui if properties benefited by it, ami ' comparative}}" nothing is being doiiiin the way of opening up land, present owners getting the benefit. Still, we do not begrudge them the benefits they are receiving ; but why should the Act be so one-sided ? We shall be told that the largo centres would swamp any scheme of State aid to Boroughs; but we do not fear that, if the general principle of the Roads t-rid Bridges Construction Act were followed, namely, giving assistance according to necessity. We do not believe m endowments for local bodies, as they generally turn m little or nothing, and are a source of trouble and annoyance. It is much better to hand them over the money at once, If no means can be devised for doing this, then, let the country borrow a million at say 3^ or 4 per cent, and lend it to the Boroughs at say 4j per cei«t., on the same lines as loans are now made to the local bodies for district roads. This would equalise the present very lop-sided working of State aid to local bodies.