PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 190, 2 September 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

PROVINCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Holding the opinion, as we do, that provincial institutions in New Zealand have produced more harm than good, we certainly look upon the movement in Wanganui, for separation from Wellington, with regret. We do not pretend to urge that the Wanganui settlers have received anything like the attention they ought to have had from the Wellington Government; hut we do say this, that separation will only weaken the province, without benefiting Wanganui. If the separation agitation be carried to a successful issue, there will be a heavy permanent outlay incurred by the new Government, which must be borne by the district, and which will eventually crush out its life. Besides this, the new province must undertake the repayment of a fair proportion of the public debt of the parent province ; and if we may form a judgment of the nature of this settlement by the example afforded by Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, we should say it would be better for both parties to allow matters to rest as they are. It may be, and doubtless is, a proper thing to endeavour, as far as possible, to enjoy the benefit of local self-government. But when that boon comes in the shape of the expensive and cumbrous machinery of the Government of a New Zealand province, it is a question whether the cost does not over-run the profit. Some persons will profit by it, no doubt. The Superintendent and the staff of officialswili have handsome salaries; and whether the income of the new province is on the increase, or whether there is an annual deficit, these officials must be paid. If the Wanganui malcontents were to look at Southland at this moment, they would see enough to warn them against separation, and the multiplication of public offices and useless expenditure. In that latest constituted province, we find that the cost of Government, swallows up more than

the total income, and a statement in our issue of yesterday appeared to the effect that the estimated expenditure was 50 per cent, in excess of the estimated income. For a time Southland had quite a run of prosperity. She had separated from Otago, and was growing important on the skirts of her parent; but the causes which only brought temporal y embarrassment on Otago have completely paralysed Southland. We may be told that this was caused by reckless expenditure ; and so it was; but then, the prosperity before alluded to was chiefly the immediate effect of that very recklessness which has destroyed the public credit of the province. The progress of Southland was forced. Its prosperity, to a very large degree, was fictitious; and the first adverse gale blew down the pretty house of cards which the Government had built. We say this was the fault of the Government of Southland, for we firmly believe in the resources of that province ; but we contend that it would have been better for the district included in the Southland Province, to have remained united to Otago, although somewhat overlooked, than to have aimed at independence and a leading position, with the humiliating failure which has attended its efforts. The Southland settlers have had their wish. They have incurred heavy liabilities, which they have no means of meeting ; they have a cumbrous and costly machinery of Government to maintaintain; and they are, as a province, in a state of bankruptcy. They might wish to | be once more united to Otago, but this may not be. They can’t have their cake and eat it; and unquestionably Southland has swallowed all that it could make away with of the public estate at its command. Why do we hold up Southland as an example to Wanganui ? Surely we can never suppose that the practical and thriving settlers of the Wanganui district would do anything half so foolish as the more speculative inhabitants of Southland ! We should hope not, but yet we cannot withhold the warning. The new provinces have all started oft in the same direction. It is a natural tendency for children to run ahead of their more staid and decorous parents; and the only difference between Southland and her sisters in youth and folly is that she has run to ruin a little faster than they. But it is not a whit less true that Hawke’s Bay is in anything but a prosperous condition. If that province has thriven, as she has, undoubtedly, it has been in spite of her local Government. The whole course of Government there has been to live upon the public estate, to gamble away the waste lands, and while the land revenue remained available to give no thought for the future. The Provincial Government of Hawke’s Bay lived very much the life of a butterfly. They fluttered in the sunshine of prosperity while they had lands to sell to themselves and friends at ss. an acre, to pay their own official salaries; but when there were no more lands to sell, and no more could be had from the Maoris, they were forced to lament their want of foresight. The new province was no longer a butterfly ; it was suddenly transformed to a chrysalis, wihout a wing to fly with, and so it will remain unless the present Superintendent can manage to furnish a pair by means of the provincial loan he wishes to raise. Now, practically, the error of Hawke’s Bay has been the error of Southland. The difference is in degree, not in principle; and so it will be found in Marlborough also. The crisis may be averted in the off-shoot of Nelson, by the influx of population owing to the gold discoveries ; but that the Wairau was on the road to ruin as a province, no one can doubt. The waste lands were sold by the Government—(of sheep)— to the flockmasters about them, and so long as this source of income lasted everything went on smoothly. We will do it the justice of saying that Marlborough was not so “ fast” as either Southland or Hawke’s Bay, The discovery of gold, and the creation of a direct revenue may save her, however; and so the friends of separation may have Marlborough to quote in proof of the wisdom of the New Provinces Act. We would have the settlers of Wanganui to consider their position carefully and dispassionately. We don’t doubt they have just cause to grumble at their district being overlooked by the Government at Wellington ; but instead of separating, and creating the machinery of Government at their own cost, suppose they agitate to remove the seat of Government from Wellington to Wanganui. If they succeed, they will secure all the advantage they seek for at no additional expence, and the province will be kept strong a d intact. For political reasons, we should be sorry if Wellington were a second time dismembered. Now the Cook’s Straits province is a power in the Assembly; then it would be a cypher. The members from the various sections of the original province

would be eaten up by petty local jealousies and conflicting interests, and they would lose much of their political influence in consequence. Moreover, we do not think the best men would be chosen. On all points, therefore, we would counsel the Wanganui separationists to desist from their agitation, and turn their attention to having a distinct understanding with the Wellington Government, for the better government of their district. We cannot suppose that any reasonable’request would be refused, or that the present growing importance of Wanganui would be intentionally overlooked by the Wellington executive. The enemies of provincial institutions encouraged the formation of new provinces, in order to let the evils of the system be more generally felt, and thus by the increase of what they believed to be bad in itself, lead to its final abolition. It was an ingenious plan, but w T e think 'it was based on sound reason. People become accustomed even to evil; and although the disunited many might desire to subvert provincial institutions, the united few, having a’purpose to serve, contrive to work them in such a way as to render themselves more powerful in the State than“the numerical majority. AmVthus the evil, instead of being cured,is conserved. Patronage is increased, corruption flourishes, and the public credit is imperilled. With the experience we have of provincial institutions, we desire to see no more provinces created in New Zealand.—“ Daily Southern Cross,” August 26.