The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1876.

Dunstan Times, Issue 746, 4 August 1876, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1876.

Beneath the rule of men entirely jest the pen is mightier than the sword.

The political aspect o, the country is almost puzzling, while as to the strength of parties, people seem to argue and form their opinions as best suit their particular wishes. It is all very well for the advocates of Provincialism to maintain that they must prevail, and that the Government will be ousted, but the more we read, the further olf does this desirable consummation appear lo be of being realised. The Government party are undoubtedly much stronger than most people imagine, and now that it is almost a certainty that they will obtain the support of the Canterbury members, their is every chance of their retaining office. There is little to doubt but that the Counties Bill will be to some extent modified—the chief objection we have to it is that, there are ioo many Counties, and although the acreage of country which each embraces is very large, there will be considerable difficulty in finding the proper men to conduct thenecessary business, while as to local jealousy it will be rampant. So far as our own locality is concerned, we opine it would have been much better had the whole of the Northern and North-western goldfields, combining the Wakatip, Dunstan, Mount Ida, and Waikaia Electoral districts, been included in one County, as the interests of these districts are quite identical. Then we have to take into consideration the expenses of the necessary officers for carrying on the business of a County. A paid Chairman, Secretary and Surveyor are indiSpensible, let alone possibly a Solicitor, while it is extremely problematical Members of the Board will be inclined tc attend the meetings, which at first will be necessarily prolonged, without some remunera tion sufficient to cover expenses. The boundaries of Counties as prescribed, particularly those of Clyde and Wak.atip are large enough so far as the acreage area is concerned, but the population is at the best a very small one, and although we shall be enjoying the principles of self Govern ment to its fullest extent, we shall have 1 to tax ourselves nevertheless. The persons upon whom a large proportion of the taxation will fall upon, are the farmers, and we feel assured that they will not care to be paying out money merely for the purpose of paying salaries. It must be palpable to everyone that New Zealand has been much ovengoverned—we have too many officers in every department of the public service, and in adopting the County system we desire to mitigate the evil instead of intensifying it. Whatever may be our form of Government for the future a very considerable amount of economy must be exercised ; there must be a paring down in every direction, and when the people themselves find that the burthen of salaries falls upon them, we feel assured that as a matter of mere self protection, they will not exyend money unnecessarily for mere purposes of self gratification. There never was a more serious moment than the’present in the history of New Zealand as a Colony, We

have as it wore come to tho end of our tether, and it will require great judgment and forethought to keep the -wheels running Smoothly, and at no previous time did We (ever require belter men at tho helm of' State.' If a change of Government should take place, it must be in the form of a reconstruction—there are men now composing it whose services can be ill spared, while considering the nature of things, few would care to undertake their chief management and bear the responsibility.