The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-17
DIRECT LEGISLATION.

Compiled by II. W. Laurence-)
In New Zealand, where the people have
a direct voice in politics and legislation.
nominations are made by the people d.
rectly, through petitions signed by the
requisite number OF voters in the dis
trict, and between the time Of nominal
ton and election, the candidates so
about the district meeting groups lace
TO face, and answering the questions Jh4t
are freely and earnestly put TO them. Tne
result OF this system and the elVn ser ser
vice rule, Is that parusansnlp mas lar
less hold in New Zealand than in Amer
lea, and that political rings and BOSS
e." are unknown.
In the republic of New Zealand the com
mon people are more truly represented ~
the government than is the ease IN most
Of states. Woman suffrage IS enjoyed
and ii Is the universal testimony that
the women are equally interested with
the men in all public affairs. voter
name is stricken from the rolls II ne or
she fails TO vote, unless q go2o reason
is given
The free school system Of New Zealand
ranks high The law compels all chlidren
over seven and under fourteen TO aICenq
school There are few nign SCl0OlS anu
universities. and with 1900 schools, Il
iteracy, present or future, VIII not DIS
The land laws are enacted in the in
terest OF persons wishing TO settle on
the land and cultivate il. Loans are
made to settlers at low rate Of interest
to help him to clear his land and raise
a crop, and in the meantime the govern
ment viii provide MIN with three uaSs
work per week of eight hours per day N
building roads or other public improve
ments, to enable him to support himself
and family until he can raise MS crop;
The government is reimbursed Tor an
this in the increased value due to an in
crease Of population, resulting IN the iaIs-
er use Of the government railroads, Jele-
graphs, telephones, postal system etc,
A 4.1 toy n
ditional tax is levied on absentees or
foreigners, wherever the owner mas not
resided in New Zealand for three years.
Telegraph telephone lines and express
business is owned and run by the govern
ment, and all pay proht az Iar loM N,
rate than in the United states. Inc
workers enjoy the eight-hour workday,
and weekly half holiday. Civil service
rules prevail in all departments
A message can be sent loo miles IN
| New Zealand for i cents, ana, e&cludllS
the MaOris or Indian population, the pe0-
/ pie of New Zealand send -FOUR messages
each per year, or four times as many
! per head as our own people send.
Postal savings banks are very popu-
/ lar in New Zealand Any one may oe-
post sums UP TO $500. At present there
/ is on deposit in these banks sum equal
/ to SIS TOR every man, woman and child
/ in the country. There are no Dank Iall-
/ ures. The system is simple, absolute pro-
! lection to depCs4tOrS, and the people never
| fear financial panics-
| The state backs up private enterprise
with all the machinery at its disposal
/ but directly enterprise tries to work mo-
nopoiies and raise prices, private enter
| prise receives a hint that there are nm
I its to the patience OF the people, ana
/ that If that kind Of thing IS perSeVeIed
| in, the government will become an active
| competitor Take the following as a typ
| ical instance OF this: Just now there IS
some difficulty with regard TO steam COM
/ munication with Europe and America
c-f74 zinc have formed a
/ ring; the people are complaining ABOUT
/ freights. The premier referred to TINS
/ when addressing public meeting lately
and warned the steamship companies 20
! BE- wise in time. III they don't give US
| the lowest possible freight rates, so as
/ TO get our mutton, WOOL butter, gram,
/ cheese, etc, into the worlds markets we
shall run a line of state steamers. Ihey
/ will be as necessary and remuneratVe,
| and as easy TO manage, as state ran
| ways"
] People of Utah, think of a prominent
Official talking that way against our
( smelter combine, or any other monopoly
/ that controls our industries, and see
/ what a cry of paternalism would 80
I'D from all of the favored ones.
| New Zealand is government that leg
| islateS to elevate the man and not the
dollar; that judges the desirabIlty OF
/ laES by their effect on the great bO0y
| Of the people, rather Jhan by tnelr e.
/ feet on the great body OF the people, rain
+ er than by their effect on capital; that
aims to tree from every burden the
wealth II is good for man to possess,
and put the burdens on oVerWealIn; that
/ aims to solve and has gone far toward
/ solving the all-impOrtant problem or Just
I distribution of wealth and the equalza-
! ton of opportunity, education, power and
| comfort. VIII we be satisfied with less
! than this, when it can be obtained
/ through the initiative and referendum,
/ casting our votes Tor principles instead
/ Of party spells and ONCE?
I int for 1nrrf I-r
The city council of Salt Lake City has
decided that it is necessary to make GER
tain extraordinary improvements TINS
year on the city water system at a cost
! OF go 600. If the initiative and referendum
! were incorporated in our city charter the
/ city council would gather all the facts
] and estimates Of cost as to the proposed
! improvements and, as the agents OF The
] taxpayers, submit to them full explana-
| ton OF the need Of said improvements by
| publication, or IN public meetings, and
I ask their consent to make this large eX-
penditure of money. Then a special cleo
| ton would be called and the taxpayers
| would vote directly no, or yes, on the
/ proposition, and a majority vote would
| decide as to whether the expenditure
/ could be made or not.
Under our present system, the city
| council, composed OF fifteen men, elected
for two years, decides to eXpend within
| one year 900 on the city water system
without consulting the property owners
as to whether they can AFFORD this in
creased tax or not. In substance tbs
| council says to them: You must vote
to increase the interest bonded debt OF
this city NOW s., 500, 000) $4,000 more to
/ make these improvements, or we Will in
crease your city taxes this year 70 pei
cent and next year we viii repeat the
tax if we Sc decide, whether it cOnhscates
your homes or not. Under the law fOl
| the next two years we are your masters
! ours to command; yours to obey, and pay
/ the taxes or be sold out"
| This, in effect, is representative govern
ment for the people to surrender TO their
! officials in of e, the power to tax anC
make laws to govern them for a stated
period of time.
Direct legislation is true democracy, the
people retaining in their own hands the
power to vote on each separate meas
ure as they may choose, and the amount
of taxes required to conduct their owl
government.
When the people realize the importanc;
of performing this duty, as free citizens
then by their votes they will have
government by the people and for the
people.
DEFENSE or THE HARES.