The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3788, 15 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1875.

Iw all the late speeches by our public men on the subject of the abolition scheme of Mr YogeLj it is assumed that Provincialism, as a system, is to be swept away. Sir F. D. Bell al Invercargill, Mr Geoege M‘Lean at Waikouaiti, and Mr Stout at Roslyn, all based their arguments on that assumption. Yet it formed no part of Mr Y oqel’s proposal He merely pointed out the necessity of a change in the North Island—not on purely financial grounds, as Sir F. Bell affirmed, but for the additional reason that none of the peculiar local functions of Provincialism had been realised. Sir F. D. Bell is not remarkable for sound logic, or when -he said Otago received scarcely any aid from the General Government it might have struck him that herein was one wide distinction between this Government and those of the Northern Provinces., The assertion that we do not receive contributions from the General Government is not literally true, but it is quite sufficiently near the truth to justify the distinction. It is true that no extraordinary appropriations are needed to bolster up the finances of Otago ; it is true that education, police, gaols, public works, immigration and benevolentinstitu tes ha ve been made efficient, and that all the purposes contemplated by the institution of Provincialism have been carried out, in the main, efficiently. Had this been equally well done in the Northern Piovinees the question of abolition would never have been raised. It is owing to the mismanagement of their affairs that they have to appeal for help to the General Government; they have wasted their substance and proved that they de not care from what quarter thty obtain money, so long as they get it. Session after session special votes have been required to help them in their difficulties. Even this might have been tolerated had the appropriation been accompanied with a proviso that the money should be spent under the control of the General Government ; but they would not have such restrictions: they were not content unless they could deal with it as they liked. In fact, the relationship with the country was very much that of an extravagant and wilful wife to her husband ; “You must provide me with money, and I will spend it. What? Give an account of the way in wL'ilh it goes! I shall do no such thins.” Whatever arguments in favor of a change are applicable to the North do not bear upon the two great Provinces in the South Island. The Nprih has been a source of perpetual qgpp'nse to the Colony, and the South has had

t# bear the heaviest part of the harden. This has been so evident for the past twelve years, that frequent agitations have been set in motion to separate the Governments of the two islands. In Otago the idea of separation has become familiarised to the popular mind. There was a strong conviction some ten years ago that the interest of the North was towards perpetuation of the war, and it was felt to be unjust that industrial development should be retarded elsewhere to pay for army contracts, commissariat expenses, and camp following. Meetings were held, a separation league was and a vast amount of enthusiasm displayed; members were hooted on their return from Parliament because they had sacrificed the interests of the Province. Somehow the movement came to nothing. In Auckland it was proposed to petition the Imperial Government to make the North Island a Crown Colony, but they were quieted by a pretty bulky sop, and subsided after skilfully jockeying the members of Otago and throwing them off the course. Then came an agitation for financial separation ; but times had changed ; the Consolidation of Loans Bill had passed, and separation, in consequence, might have been detrimental to the interest of the Colony. Singularly enough all these movements were supported by the very men who now show a threatening front to Mr Vogel. With Sir P. D. Bell, we 'think this very inconsistent; nor can wo understand the grounds of their opposition. The abolition of Provincialism in the North, 'though neither political nor financial separation, may be made equivalent to them by watchfulness on the part of Southern members. It is calculated to do away with much of that log-rolling which now prevails to se great an extent among the Northern Provinces, it will relieve the General Government of much embarrassment consequent upon local administration of funds provided by the country, at much less expense secure the full advantages derivable from money voted for local institutions. As the present proposition applies only to the North Island Provinces, we have confined our remarks to that, although it is evident the general impression is that Provincialism throughout the Colony will be attacked. That year by year its special functions are narrowed is evident to the least observant. When first instituted it was a necessity, arising out of our peculiar colonisation. The railway system has altered this, and it becomes questionable whether the advantages of retaining it are not more than balanced by the disadvantages.