New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4385, 9 April 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1875.

Of the many signs of the times, one of the most significant is the demand, by municipal bodies, upon the provincial treasuries, for contributions in aid of local rates. Provincial Governments are importuned on all hands for money, and must be sorely puzzled how to answer those who ask, as of right, what many of them do not possess, and therefore cannot give. The municipal councils of Auckland and Christchurch are in the van of bodies corporate who think that every kind of license fee levied within their respective boroughs should be applied to local purposes. In tho case of Christchurch, the popular demand has been responded to by Mr. Montgomery, the Provincial Treasurer, in a practical way. A Bill has been introduced by him into the Provincial Council, declaring dog licenses, and a variety of other fees and •licenses, formorly treated as provincial revenue, to be local revenue, payable to the local governing body within the district in which it may be raised. "Whether this Bill will satisfy the demand of the citizens of Christchurch and their representatives in the City Council is quite another thing. We suspect the concession is too small; but situated as tho Canterbury province now is, it might make a very large grant of money for sanitary works in its capital town without at all interfering with tho progress of necessary public works elsewhere. And here, let us remark, that such an application of a portion of the surplus funds of the province would be approved of by the entire colony, so far as public opinion has any right to take cognizance of such things. In the case of Auckland, if we mistake not, a trifling concession of the same character was made by the Provincial Council several years ago. The dog license became local revenue, and in several of the highway districts the amount raised by taxing dogs bore a very large proportion to the sum raised by rates on land and houses. In the city itself, the dog licenses footed up a considerable sum. But now Auckland demands the whole of the license fees raised under Acts of the Superintendent and Provincial Council within the city boundaries. Of course Grahamstown, Shortland, and other business centres will follow the example, so that were the demand complied with there would bo literally no provincial revenue. It would all be disposed of as a substantial aid to local rates. We hardly think the Superintendent of Auckland and his Council will, even at

the risk of becoming unpopular, commit " the happy despatch," however clearly they may see that the public good, and the happiness of the people, would be promoted by their retiring into private life. They will cling to the shadow of power as long as over a decent excuse can be found ; but if the entire of the provincial revenue, properly speaking, passed out of their control, no excuse, decent or otherwise, could be pleaded in defence of the provincial system. Hence we have this remarkable political anomaly in the case of Auckland—a community which has just elected an ultra-provincialist Superintendent and returned him to the House of Representatives pledged to uphold superintendentalism or die in its defence, striving in every possible way to starve that system to death ; and we have a Superintendent, pledged to the principle of local administration, and the expenditure by the people of all money contributed by themselves, deliberately locking the provincial chest, and telling the oppressed people for whom his heart bleeds that ho only meant taxes raised under Acts of the General Assembly, and not revenue extracted out of their pockets by provincial ordinances. In short, like Aiitemus Ward, he is willing to shed every drop of his brother's blood in their defence, but they must not expect any of his own to flow in their quarrel. We have not overstated the case of Auckland ; and it is more or less the case in all centres of population in the colony. ■We have not yet heard anything of Wellington bringing pressure of a similar kind to bear upon its Provincial Government ; but if Auckland and Christchurch, (and most likely Duncdin also,) succeed in their design upon their provincial treasuries, we see no reason why the City Council of Wellington should not follow suit. The time is opportune. The Provincial .Council will meet on tho 30th instant, and there is ample time to get up a strong local excitement, and. what is much more to tho point, to make out a very strong case indeed for substantial aid from the provincial revenue, towards the maintenance of the main line of thoroughfare through the city. Now, we do not suggest any action hostile to the Provincial Executive ; but inasmuch as Superintendents and their executive officers have taken local institutions under their protection,' it is only reasonable to expect thattheyshould setan example of liberality and administrative decentralization, to the General Government. Let them endow the City Council of Wellington with substantial revenue, by transferring to it all moneys paid by its citizens in the shape of license 'fees. When that has been done, but not until then, we shall accept the declarations of the snperintendental party as being slimave, and not a mere attempt to bamboozle iHo people, by diverting their attention from the grievances which most nearly oppress them to others which, seen through the magnifying glass of a Superintendent, look far larger than they really are. It may, however, be urged that Provincial Governments are justified in refusing to accede to the request of the local governing bodies, on tlie ground that it is a vicious principle in finance for one authority to raise money and another to spend it. Granted ; but such an argument should not lie in the mouth of the Superintendental party. That is precisely the overwhelming argument that may be used against the continuance of the provincial system. It lies at the root of all the financial and administrative blunders that have been committed in the colony. So long as the spending authority is not brought into direct contact with the people, a popular check upon administrative extravagance is impossible. And the duration of this period of no-check, must be measured by the existence of Pro vincial Government.

But there is yet another aspect of this question that should not be ignored. While the local bodies clamour for all fees and licenses, they do not propose to undertake the maintenance of gaols, hospitals, lunatic asylums, police, and the other institutions which are now sustained by the provinces. They are quite ready to receive the revenue, but they are unwilling to undertake the responsibility which its receipt necessarily carries with it. This again is wrong, but it is precisely what might be expected after a long and mischievous training under the provincial system. Nothing like a clear appreciation of the duties and responsibilities of "local self-government" exists. IMiaa yet to be understood by the people of this colony, and we sincerely trust that the experience will not be a bitter one.