THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH AT MASTERTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4316, 20 January 1875, Page 2

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SPEECH AT MASTERTON.

__ TO THE EDITOR, .C’.. Sir,— l notice in your leader of yesterday that you refer to the few remarks I was able to make on hi* Honor the Superintendent’s speech at Masterton. A* the occasion was one on which anything like a lengthy political speech from me would have been , in bad taste. I was only able as briefly as possible to give a general statement of my views on some of the subjects on which his Honor had so eloquently and elaborately - spoken. 3,n speaking in this hurried manner I would not, of course, make my meaning so clear as I c uld' wish, and as you have evidently misunderstood me on the point to which you refer, you will perhaps permi me now, through your columns, to state my views—which I believe are those of a majority of the settlers here—on the question of provincial abolition as put before us by the Superintendent. Mr. Fitzherbert began his speech by a lengthy defence on the charge made against his party, that it is almost entirely composed of Superintendents’ Pro vincial Executives, to which I replied that though X was far from ascribing,the action of thoseggentleraon to mercenary motives, & glance at the division lists would at one show it to be a fact. I account for it on the principle (to use a'rather vulgar illustration) that “ there is nothing like leather,” and as the shoemaker believed in leather for all purposes, so Superintendents and their Executives naturally believe in Provincialism, which they seem to think is the only known form of local administration, without which nothing is possible but a beaurocratio system. But the real pith of the speech was contained in the sentence which you have taken as the text for your leader of yesterday, and which you say I "accepted as a general surrender by Mr. Fitzherbert.” The words are remarkable ones, and well worth quoting. He told the electors that “ they should cling to the privilege of electing their own executive officers, and to the right of expending their own local revenues to which he adds the statement, " which was iht . essence of Provincialism The first part of this sentence is worthy of being taken as the watchword of a great constitutional party; but the conclusion, which I have put in italics, must be accepted on the prin ■ ciplc I nave already alluded to, viz., that "there Is nothing like leather.” Of course, in accepting this statement as a surrender of Provincialism, I was well aware that Mr. Fitzherbert did not so intend it, as it was clear that he could imagine no other form of government which would carry out the principle he so strongly insisted on. What I meant was that, if he was in earnest in caring only for local control of local matters, in whatever form of government it was embodied, he did. In effect, abandon Provincialism, and must be prepared to support Mr. Vogel’s proposals if lie finds that they carry this idea into practice. I believe Mr. Vogcjl and his supporters are as fully impressed with the tth portance of the principle laid down as Air. Fitzherbert can possibly be ; and, therefore, I take the statement to be a very important one, as showing that Mr Fitzherbert, if consistent, is prepared to narrow the qnea tlon down to this issue, and to abandon Provincialism with its staunch attempts at legislating on and dealing with questions which from their nature could be far better managed by the Government of the colony, provided that a scheme is proposed which will give that proper control over local matters for which ho so ably contends. That Provincialism does this well is at present his opinion, but I think it has been clearly shown that it is not that of the electors throughout the colony, who, on tho contrary, havo long felt that the Provincial Governments have become petty centralising bodies, which stand in the way of real local government, and, as you well put it, "act as buffers between the and the Government of the colony,”—l am, &c. •• , , „ C. J. PiIARAZVN lontfwood, January 17.