Auckland's Opinion of Wellington

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 21, 30 July 1885, Page 2

Auckland's Opinion of Wellington

The Auckland Evening Star says passionately that "Wellington only becomes unanimous when some local job is to be worked, or a measure in which. Auckland takes a special inter- j est is to be defeated. We have absolute evidence that the antagonism to the San Francisco service was more intense, and the efforts to secure its defeat better organised in Wellington than in any other city in the colony. These displays of local prejudice and jealousy come with such, frequency j that, much, as we may deprecate pro- ; vincial antagonisms and block- voting, we feel that many more such exhibi- , tion will compel Auckland to exercise its voting power for the purpose of i shearing Wellington of some of the undue influence which it attempts to wield in the colony. This perpetual antagonism to everything affecting Auckland is short - sighted policy. Beyond all question, an absolute majority of the South Island members favour the removal of the Seat of Go- j vernment to Christchurch, and it only j requires Auckland to cast in its weight j with the movement in order to leave j the Empire City in a helpless minority. But even on the many minor claims which Wellington is continually pressing on the House, the solid Auckland vote will prove a troublesome factor, if our members are driven to imitate the evil example which is being set them by the representatives of the capital city of Cook's Straits." The Star forgets that moving the Seat of Government to Christchurch would no more injure Wellington than Auckland was injured by its removal to Wellington. Auckland in some degree owes her present prosperity to the feeling of self-reliance impelled by the removal of the depressing atmosphere which appears to exhale from the Government Buildings. No man who ever lived in Auckland, or who knows the city or the province, but has kindly memories of its people, its climate, and its natural beauties. We are somewhat sorry that any Aucklander should even pretend to believe that any other part of the colony could be made superior to his favored province. That Wellington has the intense illfeeling for Auckland ascribed to it by the Star, we do not believe. If a good hearty rivalry does exist between the two cities, we look upon it as a most wholesome thing, calculated to do good to both.