The Globe. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1267, 10 April 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1878.

“We suppose that every one whatever the line of politics he may follow, will admit that the best form of government for this colony is that which best promotes the colonisation of the country,” So says the Lyttelton Times, This somewhat narrow test is then applied to the abolition of provincial institutions,aud the deduction drawn that Abolition has ; been a failure. The mode of reasoning by which this result is arrived at is to say the least .of it uuiqge. After laying down the “ axiom” quoted above, oar contemporary proceeds to prove his position by a series of bold assertions. One would have imagined that he would have tried Provincialism aud the state of things wliicli prevails now by the test set ; up. No such thing. Yet no more ! fitting standard could have been raised | by which, to gauge fjjta value of provinchjl institutions: For years before they | ceased to .ovist, did they in any why pro- j mote the colonisation the country ? ■ What is the nature of the work' they | have done since 1870? Were the energies of our representatives in the Provincial Councils not chiefly confined to passing Trespass of Cattle Ordinances, Scab Ordinances, and other equally im- : portant measures? Since the inaugurai tion of the Public Works and Immigration policy, what have the provinces done to help in the great work of colonisation ? , Nothing at all, Is it not a fact that the i colony progressed more during the six years which elapsed between the introduction of the Vogel scheme and the abolition of the provinces, than it did in ' the whole of the previous twenty or twenty-five years its existence ? The Times talks of abolition depriving rs of “ local self-government.” Of what kind of “ local self-government ” were wo deprived, when the Superintendents aud Provincial Governments ceased to exist?

{Jude? fhe Provincial system our education was manage# by y Nominated Board appointed by the Provincial Government. Our Board of Education is now an elected t one. For this we are indebted to the Colonial Government. Our higher education is in the hands of a Board of Governors appointed by the late Provincial Government. We hope before long to see the Colonial Government step in and insist that oyr College and High schools I shall he managed by a Representative! body also. We have Htu’ho.ur Boards.: Boards of Conservators, aud other ejected , bodies managing our various public concerns, Wo have our Municipal institutions, our Road Boards, our City Councils all with the management of our local affairs. What a?ore do we want p The Provincial Councils have, of course ceased to exist, aud with them there is an end wo hope to a mass of confused and conflicting legislation, hut we fall to see what local self-government we have been deprived of by their disappearance. It is surely the height of folly to call mock Parliaments aud mock MigUßes, local self-govern-ment. Provincialism was swept away by ; the voice of a large majority of the people of the colony, as a useless and cumbrous piece of machinery, which tended to divert public attention from the doings of the supremo Government —from tllb legislation of t)m body into whose hands are committed the lihe/dlcs of the people of the colony—the body which glupe pan determine the mode in which our public j burdens are to ho adjusted. Of course there wore other and cogent reasons why i tho provinces should he swept away, which we need not mention here. In conclusion, we would ask those who are casting a regretful look to the past, to clearly state what kind of local governmeut they want restored. Do they wish the legislative powers of the Councils restored ? If not, what do they want P What local inaiieiß are neglected now which could he bettor managed by a Provincial Council and Superintendent.? * What funds could they administer since their friends —tho proviucialists themselves, Sir G. Grey, aud Mr. Macaudrow, aud party—have stolen our land fund f ♦ It lias often fallen to our lot to remark upon the faults of ommissiou and commission of tho members of tho City Council, But while this is so, we never remember meeting with so flagrant a case of ingratitude as that reported in the proceedings of the Council ou Monday last. A body representing an association of companies ivho take risks of insurance against fire at an absurdly low rate of premium had been asked to increase its subscription towards the annual cost of tho lire brigade. Previously they had contributed on a scale of so much liberality as to render an application such as this quite unnecessary aud uncalled for. Two hundred pounds per annum cUyidcd wo#

doing business in Christchurch was the munificent return made for the insignificant services of the brigade. Each agent, it will bo seen, estimated the saving to his paticular company at just £l3 6s 8d per annum. No wonder when the ungrateful members of the City Council, not satisfied with such a noble display of generosity, asked for more, the association thought they were being somewhat hardly dealt with. Did the Council consider for one moment the enormous amounts paid in losses by the companies during their career in Canterbury compared with the insignificant sums received as premiums p They could not have done so, or they would never have asked for a further subscription. Besides, it must he considered that the efforts of the brigade at various times only beuetitted the companies to a small extent —at any rate it would seem from their own estimate to the extent of exactly £l3 6s 8d per annum per office. But generosity, it appears, is not the only virtue possessed by this association of insurance companies. They have exhibited a Christian spirit of forgiveness which should he like live coals pu tjie heads of the City Councillors, Passing over the rapacity exhibited by that body in asking for more, the association, with a generosity which does them honor, consented to increase their subscription by £SO per annum. The already overburdened funds of the Insurance Companies, ill as they could afford it, would he still further depleted by the munificent contribution of £3 6s 8d per annum each. Noble self-sacrifice ! unexampled generosity ! When we consider tjiat for this lavish expenditure of their hardly earned profits, the companies get actually nothing in return; that they reap little or no benefit from the exertions of the fire brigade, our wonder and respect for such patriotic men increases tenfold. Surely such a display of magnanimity ought to have filled the City Council with remorse, and clothed them figuratively in sackcloth and ashes, Bgt, no ! they have the audacity to declare that this 4p},ogtUd popduct of the association is “ ever such black ingratitude P Surely the citizens will not allow black mail to be thus levied upon poor struggling companies, in order to keep up a Eire Brigade for their benefit. “Unsatisfactory !•” Why have they not done nobly to the extent of £l3 6s 8d a year each P And yet the Council calls that “mi satisfactory. 5 ’ Well, there's no knowing what will satisfy some people. Even the odd 6s 8d each fails to soften the obdurate hearts of city councillors.