ABOLITION AND ECONOMY IDENTICAL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 317, 22 September 1875, Page 3

ABOLITION AND ECONOMY IDENTICAL.

TO THK EDITOR. Sib,—ln 1870 Sir Julius Vogel proposed hie gigantic Public Works scheme, in which I may say in passing, ho was supported mainly by (he South, and notably by the squatting interest. His mot iVordre was "borrow," and the daring financier has w stimulated Government enterprise and expenditure, that we shall shortly have a debt of twenty millions, or thereabouts, involving a yearly payment of nearly a million for interest. In 1870, wool greatly advanced in price, and it has continued high in price till this date. Under these two conditions, certain districts of the colony have eijoyed five years of unparalleled prosperity. The- operations of certain economic laws will probably before long bring about a change j more wholesome than pleasant. We have come to the end of our borrowing powers, and we shall shortly have expended all that we have borrowed. Besides, wool cannot keep up for ever. Already there are the usual indications of a heavy fall in value, I think we shall find before 1877 has passed that all our bonowed money will ho " gone," and that wool will bo "down." Under these circumstances it will be vtell for all to prepare for a period of great suffering and adversity. Ono thing above all h necessary, namely, that every family and every form of Government to exercise a most rigid economy. Ultimately the colony will pull through the reverses incidental to five years of rash schemes and extravagant expenditure. But in the meantime, if we are wise, we shall take in sail ready for the coming storm. Under the Julian regime extravagant expenditure has been the rule in General Government adminis' tration. Nor have the Provincial Governments been ono whit more economical when they have had large land revenues to expend. It is true that in Auckland great economy lias been practised. But, as though economy were a thing to be ashamed of in these days, like the starved apothecary, even the most economic Government is ready to say —

My poverty, not my will, consents. In truth, double Government has long been a grievous burden, and latterly a wretched farce 89 well. The country is ready to cry— A plague on both your bouses. The colony must get rid of one of you at least. Neither expenditure nor taxation can possibly be reduced so long as the Provincial system ac‘B as an effectual “ buffer” to prevent public opinion from affecting the General Government. No belter plan for neutralising or even destroying public opinion in this colony, could have been devised than a system which has developed such greedy spendthrifts and such “ sturdy beggars” as the Superintendents South and North. In these days Provincialism is the incarnation of selfishness and meanness. The fe’zure and misappropriation of the land fund has destroyed the Provincial system, and justly destroyed if. The centres of population in Otago and Canterbury have seized more than their share of the land fund, starving their own out-districts, exactly ns these two provinces have unjustly absorbed the land fund which was really the property.of the whole colony. With equal injustice the ports of Auckland, Wellington, or Dunedin, might have claimed the Customs revenue levied at each port as belonging to them, and not appli* cable to the wants of the colony at large. Had Mencnius Agrippa lived in these days, our Southern Philistines, Rolleston and Macau« drew, would have shown him a now application of his fable of the “ Belly and the Members.” In a word, Provincial greed has destroyed Pjo< vi racialism, and in that it has done well, for there can te.no such thing in this colony as

equitable amt economical Government eo long tv the Frov a-iai system exists. Tb« remedy lies in Hbolitionk-niMKiUATS and totai, abolition. The plea for delay put forward in ?om© quarters is not entitled to consideration. The shifts and policy of tint really small section of the community forcibly reminds one of Mr MieawberVtactics, who, all the while sinking with debt and difficulty, and to himself making wry faces, was in daily expectation of “somethingturning up’* to perpetuate a sham and a wrong. When a settler goes into the forest to make a home for himself, does ho not, as his first operation, cut down the trees which > obstruct the light and heat. Having don©■ this first indispensable work, ho then puts in his small store of grass, wheat, or other ■ seeds, knowing well that, one© the ground is dear, his useful substitution will surely though slowly yield him a plenteous harvest. He knows well that the lot per he delays • cutting down the obstructive timber, the longer docs ho postpone his harvest. Some of our obstructive politicians at Wellington appear‘to be attempting to set the old song of “Woodman spare that tree” to a new tune. But it won’t do. Th© • people will not bo charmed, charm they never so wisely. The tree has been spared long enough. Last year the roaster of the vineyard came to the Provincial tree, seeking fruit, but finding none. All the people in the colony heard him say, “Let it bo cut down, why cumbereth it the ground?” At that time the people said, “Don’t be in a hurry, spare this tree one yoir more, and then if it bear not fruit, thou shall cut t ? down.” The year has come and gone. No fru t has appeared. The time for deday. has passed away. The t ime for action has come. The people of this province are weary of the extravagance and folly of both General and Provincial Governments, and are anxious*(o ■ abolish Provincial Governments, so that, tho - * buffer” being demolished, tho battering’ ram of public opinion may bo brought to " bear with full and unchecked force on tho abuses and extravagance which infest the General legislature. Koduco our legislators from 500 to 100, and economic administration will have a chance. Tho colonists may then require as a beginning of economy, ll O abolition of tho payment of members of the . Assembly, to bo followed by a general land tax as a necessary complement of tho extravagant expenditure of the past five years, and aa a part of that general system of direct taxction wh'ch, sooner or later, must follow general representation, if real economy ia over to reign in tho administration of public affairs. 1 repeat, the first step in the good work of reform and economy is tho immediate abolition of the Provincial system. I , have little doubt that a p tition to tho Assembly for such abolition would bo largely * signed throughout the province. Such an opportunity for expressing the deep-sealed convictions of that irdo'ligent and moderate section of the community, whose? voices have not yot been heard, ought to bo afforded them.—l am, &c., J. 0. Fjetii.