CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4183, 17 August 1874, Page 3

CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS ON CURRENT TOPICS.

NORTH ISLAND PROVINCES. (From the Otago Daily Times.) Although, from the appearance of things during the early part of the session, those who are unacquainted with the past political history of New Zealand might have supposed such a juncture of affairs as has occurred in the Assembly a thing impossible, it is not at all difficult to understand by any one who has carefully watched the course of events for some years past. Such a crisis as now exists, or is impending, is a necessary result of the circumstances which have preceded it. Those who have watched and really understood the causes, foresaw unerringly what the effects would be. Over and over again it has been prophesied that a position of affairs similar to that which we now see must sooner or later come about. It is no doubt still quite possible that the prudence of Ministers and the anxiety of many members to bring the session of Assembly to a close, will cause a postponement of the fray. That, great pitched battle which has yet to be fought concerning the position of those weak Provinces which arc unable (and unwilling) to carry on their own internal Government without assistance from the common purse, and concerning the responsibilities of the Colony considered as a whole to these portions of it, cannot, however, be long postponed by any devices or accidental circumstances. Nor can anyone —which ever way his political sympathies draw him—honestly believe it desirable that it should be. It is not desirable that it should be brought on at the end of a session of Parliament. With that single reservation, we say of it emphati-. cally that the sooner it is over, the better for the country. We find it impossible to point out with precision the first occasion on which any one of the Provinces received aid at the hands of the Assembly, because of the inability of its local Government to perform properly all the functions appertaining to it. Neither can we say exactly in what manner—open or underhand, as a dole or by a sidewind—-the first bolstering of decrepid institutions was thus attempted. But it has been for years past one of the most patent things in New Zealand politics that the representatives of poor Provinces have exercised their influence over the Governments of the day with great success, to obtain money to supplement Provincial revenues. The fact that each Government has in turn invariably given way to the pressure thus brought to bear on them, is not difficult to explain. Except the present one, it may be said that wo have never had a really strong Government in New Zealand since the Constitution was proclaimed. To resist the appeals of the weak Provinces, meant to lose the votes of their representatives. To lose these often, almost always meant to lose office. Thus these sparsely-populated, unprogressive, and impecunious districts of the Colony have exercised a most unwarrantably large influence upon the domestic politics of the Colony. In proportion to their population and wealth, they have from the very first been greatly over-represented; and in addition, their representatives have always been in a position to be obliged to sell their votes to one party or the other for the consideration of help from the purse or credit of the Colony for their Provinces. These things being so, it is not to be wondered at that the demands of the needy Provinces have increased from year to year. Of late these importunities have been chronic, and the Assembly has listened to them in the blandest manner. Eor some years past, they have had these sops thrown to them out of the bounteous dish of borrowed money, in which the Colony has been rejoicing. This has been undisguisedly done in many instances, and even where the assistance purported to be out of the revenue of the Colony, it was not really so. The way in which the accounts of these transactions appear in the financial records of the country is of little moment—the fact remains, which no one will venture to deny, that had there boon no' loans there would have boon no doles to distressed Provinces. Thus the evil day, when things must be put upon a more straightforward footing, has been put off year after year. This year, however, tho Treasurer cannot see his way to help the needy with borrowed money. He has need of every penny that can be raised on the credit of the Colony to meet the engagements entered into in connection with the Public Works and Immigration Scheme. The revenue is flourishing, and out of it ho proffers a modest assistance to Auckland, Wellington, and tho other Provinces which stand in need of it. His offers have not been accepted in tho spirit in which they are made. Superintendents and Provincial Executives refuse to look beyond their own pressing requirements ; or, perhaps," wo should say that those are so great that they cannot see over or beyond them. The reasons—the considerations as to

the future—-which have such weight with the Treasurer, they make light of. Knowing the value of their voting power in the Assembly, the representatives of these Provinces think that by agitation and pressure they can secure them. If what they want cannot be had by cajoling the Premier, they will threaten; hence the present state of affairs. Though the storm has apparently gathered rapidly and broken on us suddenly, the elements of it have in fact been gathering in the political atmosphere for years. We do not venture to predict what will be the ultimate solution of the difficulty which now begins to be pressing. It may be staved off for another session—it may be only after a series of partial attempts and compromises that it will be solved at all. But if no Ministry could venture to apply a vigorous remedy, it is certain that the force of circumstances will in the end create one. If the Colony is to remain united, it is certain that the various districts of it—call them Provinces or by any other name that suits—must themselves pay the cost of their respective establishments, and leave the ordinary revenue of the Colony to the Central Government. (Prom the Olayo Guardian.) Mr. Vogel, in his reply on the second reading of the New Zealand Forests Bill, took a forward step in Ms political career, from which there is no receding. It is satisfactory to know that one is not wrong in one’s estimate of a public man ; and we should certainly have been greatly disappointed if the Premier had not, upon the present occasion, offered a hold front to the Provincial party. In truth, not only was his own political reputation at stake, but the interests of the whole Colony were jeopardised. As lie most forcibly pointed out, it was easy to perceive how the great policy of immigration aud public works might be a curse to the country, unless provision was made for the conservation of the State forests. Now that Mr. Vogel has taken the Provincial bull by the horns, he must take especial care or he will find himself gored by the irate brute at some unguarded moment. It is a struggle in which one or other must absolutely conquer. There can be no truce. Quarter may be asked by the Provincialists ; but they will never give quarter when .they have an advantage. These are the leading features of the struggle, and it is well that they should be borne in mind, because, while the intelligence and patriotism of the country are with Mr. Vogel, the voting power in the General Assembly is largely in the hands of his political opponents, for opponents the Provincialists now are to a man, however divided they may be on other questions. It is therefore the boundeu duty of all who wish the Colony to be cheaply and efficiently governed to take measures for making their opinion known. There is ample time to petition, should it he thought desirable, but in some public way the opinion of the community at large should be expressed. Mr. Vogel has accepted the challenge so uudisguisedly thrown down to him, aud has let the country see the “ extras ” which -Superintendentalism entails upon it. Prudent men should count the cost, and say whether it is worth the money. In our opinion it is neither useful nor ornamental. In the old jog-trot days it was well enough, but when Superiutendentalism insists upon driving four-in-hand, regardless of the road, it is time the break was put down. And, judging from the short report of his speech which we have received by telegraph, it would appear that Mr. Vogel has resolved to apply the break. We are heartily glad of it. The affairs of the Colony will go on all the more smoothly, and we shall have no reason to anticipate disaster to the State coach. (From the I/awkds Bay Herald.) What has long been hinted at has come at last. Mr. Vogel’s motion is tolerably certain of being carried, and the days of Provincialism in the North will shortly be brought to a close. In a former article, we alluded to the probability of such an event taking place, and pointed out that the abolition of Provincial Governments would certainly bo a gain to the outlying portions of the Colony, such as Poverty Bay, which suffers from the petty centralisation of a local Government like that of Auckland, but that in Hawke’s Bay we have not felt much of the evils of Provincialism, and therefore should hardly appreciate the change. When, however, the time arrives at which our surplus funds are expended, aud the land revenue comes to an end, we shall ho better off, in all probability, in the hands of the . General Government. Be this as it may, there seems very little doubt that the next Provincial elections will be the last in the Northern Provinces. The feeling of the majority of members in the Assembly is evidently in favor of the resolutions above referred to, for they greeted the announcement with applause. The death of Provincialism will he a heavy blow, and great discouragement to a large number of holders of small Government billets, who, being for the most part of a class that cannot dig, and are ashamed to heg, are very nnsuited to “ rough it” when cast on the world ; hut, with the exception of these people, no one will, we think, be much of a sufferer by the proposed change. It is, however, such an important alteration in the Constitution that it is well that it should not be done in a hurry, and that there should be the interval of the recess for the Government to consider the best means of giving effect to Mr. Vogel’s resolution, if can-ied, of which we entertain very little doubt. Although it has been evident for a long time that Provincialism —in Auckland, at all events—was in a moribund state, and that few would weep at its funeral, no one would have thought that Mr. Vogel was to bo the undertaker. Although we think the act would have come with a better grace from the hands of another, we believe the proposed change will, on the whole, be one for the better; but when it is au accomplished fact, some redistribution of seats in the Assembly must take place. Hawke’s Bay will certainly not be content with only two members in the House, and, on the other hand, there are other parts of the Colony overrepresented. Contingent on the death of Provincialism, there must be a redistribution of seats in the Assembly.