The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1885. Sir Julius Vogel at Auckland.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1469, 20 February 1885, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1885. Sir Julius Vogel at Auckland.

The condensed report of the Colonial Treasurer’s address at Auckland that I has reached us through the agency of the Press Association, contains I nothing more remarkable and generally satisfactory than the evidence it bears of the speaker’s restoration to mental J health. During the latter part of the 1 last session of Parliament the Trea- I surer repeatedly displayed an amount of irritability and petulance, probably provoked by physical suffering, that must have been as distressing to himself as it was unsatisfactory and alarming to his friends. His sojourn at Waiwera has evidently resuscitated his mind as much as it has his body, and | his speech on Tuesday evening was I characterised by all the vigor, ability, ] and magnanimity that distinguished his 1 memorable address to the Ashburton electors. He prefaced his remarks by announcing that it was his intention to refer only to a few of the subjects that had recently engaged the attention of Parliament, and to leave for a subsequent address to his constituents any more precise reference to the work of last session. If this announcement led any of his hearers to expect a commonplace dissertation, their apprehensions were speedily removed, as after a diplomatic reference to his consistent opponent, Sir George Grey,—a reference that will have been received with particular favor by an Auckland audience —he entered upon the discussion of the prominent questions of the day with that refreshing animation that marks all his best oratorial efforts. Men of distinguished ability are often, although not always, egotistical, but there is no inordinate arrogance in Sir Julius Vogel assuming a tone appropriate only to the head of the Ministry, as it is notorious that the nominal leader of the Government is actually subordinate to his Treasurer. But in referring to the constitution of the present Government, their utilitarian and theoretical elements, we think he gave too much prominence to his own supremacy. The position has by common consent been conceded to him, and his primacy wifi be recognised without undue emphasis being placed upon its existence. The metaphor he employed to illustrate the past and present condition of the Colony and the future proposals of the Government was well designed and evidently effective, but we must admit having found some difficulty in following the fluent statesman’s comparison between theoretical and practical politics. It is satisfactory to learn that the Government are “ not ashamedjto say they attach the greatest importance to the promotion of local industries,” but the Treasurer’s studied ambiguity in reference to Free Trade and Protection is not equally reassuring. He asserts that he is neither I a free trader nor a protectionist, an assertion which is stoutly maintained by protectionists of every degree. The importance he places upon the restoration and conservation of our forests will now be generally recognised ; although Sir Julius, as he has always done in dealing with this question, fails to appreciate the substantial work in the way of planting forest trees which is being accomplished by private enterprise and the local bodies of the Colony. The information he has collected in reference to the value of our Fisheries is

encouraging, and his comments upon our other industries indicate a comprehensive and intelligent view of the natural features and products of the colony. His remarks upon Local Government will, in this locality at least, be regarded as the most practical and most important part of his speech, and we regret that the telegraphic summary contains but the very barest outline of his views and proposals upon this sub-

ject. He is reported to have said that he looked upon it as almost purely a financial question ; that he was not inclined to think the alterations required were ot a very radical nature; that what was wanted was to give the various bodies a power of combination at pleasure, and to give them also larger and more elastic revenues with which to

carry out their local objects. This is all very plausible, but very indefinite, and we are not sanguine that the conference he proposes to hold with the Mayors and Chairmen of County Councils will assist in elucidating the matter. Local Government reform has been distinctly promised by

the present Ministry, and pointedly alluded to by the Colonial Treasurer on several previous occasions. We are, therefore, somewhat surprised to learn that no important changes are now considered necessary, and that the proposals on the subject have not been progtessed a single step during the recess. We have already expressed our own views upon this question, which mainly accord with those now admitted by the Colonial Treasurer, but remembering the display made in this direction during the general election we

shall watch its further development with considerable curiosity and interest. Sir Juuus Vogel’s remarks in referqjice to railway management are too briefly reported to be intelligible, and his admission that a vast amount remained to be done in this direction, and that

it could be best done by local Boards \ entirely free from political influence, will not be challenged. Whether the Boards he suggests are to be Boards of Management, with power to enforce the required reforms, or merely Boards of Advice, whose recommendations might | or might not be accepted, does not appear from the summary before us. We shall refer to this and some other portions of the speech when we are in possession of a fuller report, but in the meantime we may congratulate the [ Colonial Treasurer upon having done much to mollify the opposition that has confronted his Government in the northern city, without lessening the presi tige he personally enjoys throughout the colony.