THE ABOLITION QUESTION.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 341, 17 September 1875, Page 3

THE ABOLITION QUESTION.

( To Ike Editor of the Mount Ida Cukoxict.t:.) Sie, —Though a regular reader of your paper, I hare hitherto failed to discover your real'opinion re the above question. You have certainly •written a good deal about it, and said more against the Bill than for it, but all in a rather lukewarm sense. Your readers would probably prefer seeing yon take a decided stand—though you even displayed the colors of red republican, like the Knight of Kawau —than to remain passive during the'present Parliamentary war. Eat whatever your opinion may be, there is not the slightest doubt that a large majority in this district are in favor of immediate abolition. It is agreed by all that sooner or later the Provinces should be abolished—so, why delay ? A large majority in the House, acting according to the wishes of their constituents, being in favor of passing the Bill, why should they go to the country on the question? The Bill may not be perfect in all its clauses —indeed it would be something miraculous if it were —but if it hft3 imperfections they can be amended from time to time as they crop up.- So far as this district is concerned, if it gains nothing it will lose no thing by the new order of things that is to be. Provincial Governments do great good in the immediate vicinity of where they sit, but the crumbs that fall from their tables are considered good enough for the out-lying districts. Who in this district can avoid coming to this conclusion. "Who in this district can avoid coming to this conclusion if he thinks for a moment of the activity displayed on the public works near Ducedin, while here they are carried on in the most dead and alive manner possible ; and, from being commenced at the wrong ends, the parts finished cannot be used, and are therefore fast approaching a state which will cost the country heavy sums to repair. In short the Moiuifc Ida public 'worksthrough the mismanagement and procrastination of the Provincial Government—are to a certain extent a failure, because, instead of being pushed ahead and finished within a reasonable time to open up mining ground, they have dragged their weary course along from year to year until many of our most energetic miners have tired waiting, and cleared out for good. The strong argument of Provincialists is that, in consideration of the good done by Provincial Governments in the past, they should bo allowed to exist a little longer; but what good have they done that tho General Government could not have done as well. It would probably have been better for the Colony had Provincial Governments never been. Otago is pointed to as having been the best governed Province of the Colony, but even she has many black spots of mismanagement to account for. How of b during tho last dozen years have.her rulers sacrificed large blocks of the finest land in the Province in order to raise the wherewithal to bolster up their petty -Government —a Government which session after session spends neai-ly half its time in passing Bills which are afterwards found to be impracticable, and so disallowed by the Governor ! Such playing at Parliament, for which the Province has to pay so much, is an'imposition on the people, and that its end is so near should bo cause for rejoicing. I will not trespass further on your valuable space at present, but hope to see you giving the district the benefit of your advico —displaying your colors even a little. —I am, &c., Inquieeb. [We fear it is left for large intellects like that of our correspondent to be able to act as judge, off-hand, without wading through the arguments adduced on either side of a very difficult question by New Zealand's ablest men. our correspondent had to rake up all our old articles to spin out his letter of grievances. He has not assisted us in the whole of his letter in any enquiry as to the effect of the change, as proposed. We arc afraid we must'pursue our own course of plodding enquiry as to how the district we exist to serve will be affected by any change. If " Inquirer " will go into facts, and aid us, we will grudge him no space. Any innovating bantam can mount hi 3 neighbor's hillock, on pillage bent, crow—and then run for his life. Our correspondent can do better work than that. His concluding paragraph, which we omit, should have been addressed to the Member for tho l)iM,riet, as affecting him riv>re than the Editor of this' paper. -Ed. M.I-C.l