CENTRALISATION.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 692, 25 June 1870, Page 2

CENTRALISATION.

[to the editor]

Sir,— lt appears from your last issue that, while the people of Greymouth have been taking measures for the enlargement of the Nelson Province, by extending the boundary-line to the Teremakau, Mr Reynolds of Dunedin has given notice of motion m the General Assembly for the abolition of the numerous petty governments which now distract the country, and the formation of the whole Colony into two Provinces. This is no doubt a long stride m the right direction ; but, m my opinion, it requires another step to reach the goal— namely, that the whole Colony be placed under one Central Government. Supposing, for instance, Mr Reynolds' scheme for forming the whole Colony into two Provinces becomes a fact, will not the outlying districts of each Province, which will form a large per centage of the whole country, require some kind of local government for the management of local affairs? If then some form of local government must be granted to a large portion of the country, why not grant the same to the whole, and substitute one Central Government for Mr Reynolds' proposed three ? It may be argued against placing the whole. Colony; under one government that it would be difficult on the part of that government to properly divide the Colony, and. grant suitable local governments to the various districts. Whatever may be the difficulties of one government to provide proper local constitution for the whole Colony, they can be no greater than the two would have to contend with m providing for their respective outlying districts. ; I therefore confess my inability to discover any public benefit that can be derived from the formation of the Colony into two large Provinces that could not be better secured by one Central Government; but I do plainly see that, by placing the whole Colony under one controlling power, it would save to the country the no small expense of two Provincial Governments, as proposed by Mr Reynolds, believing, that no one will contend that New Zealand has at present any surplus funds to squander on superfluous governments.— l am, &c., Charles' Woolcock.