The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1883. The Seat of Government.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1032, 27 August 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1883. The Seat of Government.

While Mr Bathgate’s motion for the creation of a new political capital for the colony, from its highly fanciful character, was not such as to command .the sympathy of the practical politician, it is not surprising to hear that the anti-Centralists in the General Assembly contemplate another move in the direction of changing the seat of Government. The fact of Mr Bathgate’s motion having been lost by four votes only evinces the strength of the feeling against the existing order of things. One would rather have expected the resolution to be negatived on the voices than to find it become the subject of a close division. There are, however, many cogent reasons why a large proportion of the members of the General Assembly and of the inhabitants of the colony should desire to see some other place than Wellington made the seat of Government. The causes which necessitated the remoyal oh the Government establishment from Auckland to Wellington have ceased to exist. At the period when that change took place it had actually been found on one occasion that the quickest way of reaching Auckland from Dunedin was via Melbourne; telegraphs were unknown in the colony; and it was the dissatisfaction of the Canterbury and Otago men at the inconvenience which they experienced from their attendance upon their Parliamentary duties at Auckland which brought about the removal. Wellington was chosen as the future seat of Government, partly on account of its central position, but quite as much on account of the native difficulty, which all sides admitted rendered it necessary to keep the seat of Government in the North Island, so that the Ministry might be on the spot to deal with native troubles as they arose. The altered condition of affairs is obvious. With the abundant railway, steam, and telegraphic communication which we now enjoy, it is of practically little consequence in what part of either island the political capital it located, provided it be on the main line of communication. Whatever site be chosen, the representatives of some parts of the country will have to travel a considerable distance, but that is unavoidable. What we wish to urge is that the improved facilities of communication have virtually got rid of one of the two principal arguments which were used in favor of making Wellington the seat of Government. As to the other, the native difficulty may be reckoned a thing of the past. At all events, it is become of so little moment that it would be absurd to permit it to influence our actions in this matter.

What the bulk of the colonists feel is that a powerful interest, most injurious to the welfare of the colony, has grown up in Wellington. We have foolishly created in New Zealand a most extensive bureaucracy, having its headquarters at Wellington, while the personal interests of its chiefs and representatives there are firmly welded with those of the Wellington people. Those interests, it is superfluous to say, are quite opposed to anything in the shape of economy of administration, purity of government, or localisation of the functions of government. The colony feels that a burthen of expenditure and taxation too heavy to be borne is being rivetted upon its shoulders, but its struggles to free itself from the onerous load, and the exertions of its representatives in Parliament to reduce the public expenditure, are met with the stolid and effectual resistance of the Wellington bureaucracy and its local supporters. In like manner, the colony finds year by year the ends of the strings of public affairs being gradually placed in the hands of Wellington officials and all the local bodies made to dance attendance upon those gentlemen. A variety of arguments have at different times been used by the opponents of a change in the seat of Government. The latest is the supposed heavy cost of a removal, say to Christchurch, which is boldly set down at 1,250,000. Those who make the allegation do not favor us with the details of their estimate. In the absence of such details the amount sounds romantic, although even if the removal did cost a quarter of a million of money, it would be well worth considering whether it would not pay the colony to incur the expense. Let us,

however, examine roughly what the principal items of expenditure would be. The buildings occupied by the Government at Wellington consist of Government House, the Parliament buildings, the public offices, and the Ministerial residences. Similar buildings would have to be erected at the place chosen for the new seat of Government. Against this outlay must be credited the value of the land and buildings at Wellington vacated by the Government, and which could of course be sold; so that the expense on building account would be reduced to the difference between the sum produced by the sale of the Wellington property, and chat spent on the new buildings. In reality the cost would be less. The Parliament buildings at Wellington are in such an indifferent state of repair that, although some or was spent upon them last year, it is now proposed to erect a new wing and make other alterations estimated to cost and this money might just as well go towards the erection of a fresh building in another part of the colony. So the Government printing office is in a very shaky condition, and a new one will have to be put up before long. Making these allowances, the net cost of n«w buildings would be a very moderate amount; while the only other item of expense of removal would be the transport of the Government records and the officials, with their families, which could be effected by the Hinemoa. When it comes to be scrutinised, the supposed enormous expense is seen to be a bugbear ; and if no more valid objection be available Wellington will remain the seat of Government just so long as she can contrive to sow dissension amongst the ranks of her opponents, but no longer.