South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2317, 20 August 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1880.

Tim resolution of! which Mr Moss lias given notice in the House of Deproscntatives concerning the organisation of a

better form of local goverment than now exists, may be destined to receive bnt little attention from Parliament, but that it will have tbc earnest consideration of the country is more than probable. That tbc prosperity of the colony has been on the wane ever since the fatal blunder of passing the Abolition Dill was perpetrated is undeniable. Evidences of tbc utter breaking down of the central system under the additional strain imposed by the abolition of provincial management arc not diflicnlt to find for they abound everywhere. The disorganised state of parties in Parliament, the corruption that is rapidly undermining not only the Native Department, bnt every department of the State, the state of the treasury with its chamber of horrors so serviceable to Major Atkinson, the necessity for increased taxation, and the fact that the cream and backbone of the population forced into the colon} 1 ' at the cost of borrowed millions, are on the point of quitting it for less heavily taxed regions—these things, we submit, all point as clearly as the noondays sun to the total collapse of Sir Julius Vogel and Major Atkinson’s grand panjandrum—Centralism. That the machine at Wellington would break down under the additional strain placed upon it, was predicted by many, bnt few imagined that the wreck would prove so costly as it has done. Abolitionists and centralists have now had the opportunity of watching the consequences of their reckless experiment,and if they are at all open to conviction they must now be satisfied with the result.

After what the colony lias suffered by the pulling to pieces of the constitution under which New Zealand nourished for more than a quarter of a century, the electors ought to be prepared to endorse any feasible scheme of restoration. The scheme submitted by Mr Moss is, we believe, both practicable and judicious, and it is entitled to earnest consideration. The House of Representatives is not likely to treat the proposals with much respect or consideration, and it is hardly to be anticipated that during the present session any resolution of the kind will be fairly entertained, leave alone carried. But the object evidently aimed at will be attained. The subject will be ventilated, and by the time that another general election takes place the country will be in a position to express its opinion on a matter which is undoubtedly of paramount importance. The destinies of New Zealand arc indentified with the proper carrying out of local Government. The present system under which local governing bodies arc multiplied is cumbrous, confusing, and oppressive to the ratepayers. The County Councils are virtually distributing bodies. Now that their subsidies have ceased and the little that was left out of the proceeds of land sales is to be taken from them, they will have nothing to distribute unless they proceed to the dire extremity of entering into opposition with the lioad Boards, and inflicting cumulative taxes on the ratepayers and their dogs. Practically these Councils are excresenccs, bodies whose functions arc already superseded, and who arc, therefore, of no use, save as an expensive and quite unnecessary infliction. The proposition of Mr Moss is to group the various local organisations together, forming them into provincial districts, and giving each distinct (subject to the approval of Parliament, of course) the financial and legislative control of its own affairs. His system is not exactly a return to the old form of provincialism, but it means the restoration of those broken links of which the local governing cable, prior to the passing of the Abolition Bill, was composed. It is a proposal for buildingtogether again the ruins of a Constitu-

tion which a few years ago was

thoughtlessly shattered, and has never been property replaced. Now that the abolitionist has seen the error of his ways and tasted the fruits of his rash experiment, we may reasonably assume that he will unite with the provincialist and anti-centralist in reuniting the bonds which he helped to pull asunder. New 'Zealand was never so ripe for dealing with this question of local Government as it is at present, That central administration has collapsed is on every hand acknowledged. When the Abolition Act was passed the people of Now Zealand, as a body, were, to a great extent, disfranchised, and public opinion was thwarted by the extreme pressure brought to bear, in influential quarters. If we mistake not the question agitated by Mr Moss, has struck a key-note, which will be heard with no uncertain sound throughout the length and breadth of Now Zealand, and which will be forced by the constituencies upon the attention of their representatives at the next general election.