The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4103, 21 April 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1876.

Hts Honor the Superintendent thought fit to acquaint the public with the terms of his reply to the request of the Colonial Government for information in regard to the organisation of the Provincial Civil Service. We considered he took an unwise step, but as it has drawn from Sir Julius Voqel a temperate explanatory reply, the correspondence must result in advantage to the public “Changing of words is the lighting of hearts.” Keep the mouth closed and misunderstandings are never cleared up. We do not imagine that our Provincial Executive or their thick-and-thin supporters in the Province will put faith in anything excepting their own nobby, although events pressing themselves upon immediate attention

prove the truth of Sir Julius Vogbl’s statemeats. We have in the Province journals and believers in them, wlio only know two forms of government—Centralism and Provincialism; and, according to their doctrines, every thingthatisnot Provincialism is Centralism. Sir J ulius Vogel agrees with our oftenexpressed conviction that one of the worst forms of Centralism is Provincialism, and that the chief recommendation of the Abolition scheme is its provision for decentralisation.

Vyc have latterly avoided the subject, feeling that the time had not arrived for discussing it to public advantage, as nothing authoritative was placed before the Colony. Sir Julius Vogel s reply removes the ditdeulty, and may be considered that of tire Executive. It seta completely at rest several facts on which doubt existed, and should prove a' very satisfactory answer to many misrepresentations First, we are told that “ the Government feel it their duty to accept the law as it stands.” This means that Otago will have no exception made in its favor, and that here as well as elsewhere Provincial Government must cease. The Premier then summarises a number of refuting the Superintendent’s wild notions concerning the relative position of Otago to the rest of the Colony ; and showing that the credit of New Zealand is imperilled by the reckless appropriations of our Provincial Councils. Allusion is then made to the forced sales of land rendered necessary to meet the constantly recurring difficulties caused by excessive Provincial expenditure, and a contrast is drawn between what has been done by the General Government as compared with what could have been done by the Provinces in public works Rnd immigration: vfcyy truthfully-—but much to the disadvantage of the latter. But the chief interest of the pri o '^ 61 ’’ 8 reply is in the latter part in which he* describes what he anticipates will be the effect °f the intended arrangements consequent <Rn Abolition. They do not differ from the interpretation we have frequently put u"o<*» the proposals of the Government, butth differ widely from the notions of the Provincial party. How it has happened that his Honor should be so wide of the mark in I his ideal of the results of Abolition we cannot understand. It is much more easy to comprehend the faith his followers place in his opinion, accustomed as they are to think themselves safe in trusting to his guidance. We have no doubt that even after reading what Sir Julius Vogel has written, many in Otago will emphatically declare, as hundreds have done before, “ We won’t be governed from Wellington,” and consider that a conclusive reply to all Sir Julius’s arguments. Carefully read, it will be seen that it is clearly intended to take no power of selfgovernment away, but to extend and develop it to its utmost practicable extent. That existing institutions are not to be interfered with—

The revenues from educational reserves, the control of education, of clinritaVle institutions, and of harbor improvements will likewise pass to, or remain local bodies. Where is there at present any such system of local government ?

As plainly as words can record intentions, these words explain that precisely those privileges which we in Otago ask are to he secured to us, and that instead of being subjected to the party quarrels of a Provincial Council, with a majority of one or two, swayed by prejudice or local interest, those immediately interested will have the control. But bow is it proposed to deal with the land fund ? This question has been, and righteously so, considered of vital importance. The manner in which the Provincial Government has dealt with it has proved frequent matter for comment in this journal, and is just now forcing itself prominently upon public attention. Only this we have the squatters’ organ, the ‘ Daily Times,’ advocating the sale of large blocks of land in order to relieve the Provincial Government of its difficulties. We shall feel it our duty to expose the sophistry of our contemporary’s appeal to the Waste Land Board in another article ; but in contrast to the plan of the General Government the Provincial proceedings stand out in strong and unpleasant relief. It is proposed to sell several large blocks of land in one part of the Province to pay for improvements and, as the ‘Daily Times ’ has it, “jobs” in another. Of this hereafter, hrough Sir Julius Vooel the General Government say—

The administration of the land will continue to be localised; the land revenues will be strictly devoted to local purposes; some small contributions may. perhaps, be giveu to the trunk railways, which cannot be regarded as local either in their nature or purpose, and the management of which the Colony Will undertake. There are abundant proofs that local management cannot bo assumed too early for the benefit of all concerned.

With the payment for “jobs” in view, by the sacrifice of the public estate, the truth of the last paragraph is placed beyond a doubt.