The Southland Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 533, 3 August 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1866.

Some time since we expressed an opinion as to certain acts of the Executive, and pointed out the necessity for a change in the Bystem of governing the Province, and in doing so reflected the feeling of dissatisfaction generally existing in the minds of the public— a feeling that the conduction of the Government was unsatisfactory. Since then an extreme section of" the community has, with bad taste and extreme indelicacy, insinuated that his Honor the Superintendent ought to resign, inasmuch that having advocated the appointment of an Emigration Agent, and it not having been endorsed by the Council, that of necessity, his Honor was bound to resign. Such a line of argument is untenable. "We believe that at the present time this course if adopted would have the most pernicious influence. Altogether apart from the bad effect that would result from a change in the Superintendency, by the creation of .the worst phases of party feeling ; the stoppage of the public business, and the general disorganization that would probably follow; we think there are grounds which ought to have weight against a change with those who now seek to briug about one. It is well known that under the " New Provinces Act" a Superintendent is elected by the Provincial Council for a period of four years ; that he holds his appointment altogether irrespective of changes in local politics ; that in a measure he is the Provincial representative of the Crown ; and therefore cannot be deposed, unless by the Governor — and not even by him — except for the commission of some extraordinary case of malpractice or other serious crime. "We therefore think that the hints that have been thrown out for his Honor to resign are unjustifiable, unfair, and strongly to be deprecated. But this does not alter the constitutional aspect of affairs. We still believe that the Superintendent committed an error of judgment in making* the appointment of an "Emigration Agent without having first consulted the Council as to the advisability of the action contemplated, and not obtaining from that body the funds required to carry it out; yet we are far from advocating his resignation, simply because he adopted such a course. It would establish a precedent of the worst character ; indeed if this argument was acknowledged, the Governor of the colony, with equal reason, would be called upon to resign on every defeat of colonial ministers. However, we will leave this portion of our subject, feeling that it will be transparent that the suggestion of his Honor's resignation has only been brought forward for party purposes. There is however another matter which it is necessary to ventilate — the reconstruction of the government. It appears to be the general unbiassed opinion that the most disastrous consequence to the interests of the Province is likely to result, if some change is not speedily made in the Executive. We believe that his Honor would earn the thanks of the community by calling to his counsel men of tried ability and political knowledge. This element, however, can only be obtained by ofierhi! . such inducements as honorable menwoulc accept. By attaching' to the oflice of Provincial Secretary a salary of say £400 or £500 per annum a gentleman who would act conjointly with *;he Provincial Treasurer, both being members of the Government, together ! with a free ventilation of all subjects of Provincial interest, and increasing the Executive to the full number allowed able men's services could be secured ; and under such a Government very large contingent expenses might be reduced to such an extent that the gross departmental expenditure, would rather be diminished than increased and the Province materially benefitted. Such a course would prove to be the most economical in the end. By the adoption of this plan a strong Government would be obtained, having the confidence of all classes, andthe theory of constitutional Government would be fully and fairly carried out.

There is a probability that the proposed postage to be placed upon newspapers, will become law. This has naturally aroused the anger, and called forth indignant remonstrances from a section of the New Zealand Press. In the present enlightened age, it is almost universally conceded that as a rule, no impediment should be thrown in the way of the difiusion of useful knowledge — that newspapers are the instructors of the masses, and therefore entitled to a large consideration from the Government. It is advanced by political economists, that the Postal Department should never be looked upon as a source of revenue, and logically argued that rapid and efficient communications should be everywhere promoted, even at a financial loss to the I couatry. As a rule, this reasoning is \ sound. In Europe, with dense masses of impoverished people — with its railways 1 and other inexpensive mail appliances — legislation that in anyway is calculated to retard the circulation of literature is impolitic and detrimental to the progress of civilization. But as every rule has an exception, the principle if applied to colonies with a sparse and scattered populalions, may be a mistake. Looking at this subject in an impartial epirit, we cannot join in the moaning

lamentations and wholesale denunciations of the proposal in which some of our con- | tetnpories have indulged. To our mind, considering the financial state of the colony, it is a just and legitimate mode of decreasing the enormous loss that has for years been Bhown in the working of the postal department; contributing to its efficiency, and increaseduaef illness. Postal communication is one of the essentials of colonisation ; wherever gold workings or other branches of industry collect anumber of colonists; next to the necessaries of life, postal accommodation is the thing needed, and in order to supply it, at the particular time it is required, an enormous government expenditure, in excess of the ! probable revenue, is demanded. Thus we find that post-offices are not established in the interior with the rapidity that could be desired. Until permanent roads or railways have been constructed throughout every province in the colony, the transmission of mails must necessarily be costly — with unbridged rivers to be crossed, swamps to be traversed, and snow-clad mountains to be passed — the conveyance of the mails ia an undertaking which must be well paid for, if well done. The efficiency — the prompt action — in this department which is most desirable can never be obtained, until its financial returns wear a better complexion than they have hitherto. Isolated communities voluntarily undertake to give more for the goods of all descriptions that they re^' quire — they settle in such localities with the belief that they can earn more than in a populous district— and why should the obtiiinance of newspapers be an exception to the rule ? It is a patent fact that until a post-office is established in a newly-formed, or difficult to approach community, newspapers are readily saleable at from one to two hundred per-cent on publishing prices, and it appears quite unreasonable that the Government should be called upon to provide the means for the supply at no charge until conveyances are paced on the lines with a large passenger traffic, postal communnication must, if adequate to the requirements, demand an expenditure, — under the present system — so largely in excess of the revenue derived, that any Government would be compelled to adopt what the public might call a cheese-paring* policy. The proposal for a penny postage for newspapers is just and equitable. It has been advanced that the imposition of this postage charge will seriously embarrass the newspaper proprietors, and prove a great hardship to the people. This statement is flimsy, and could only be advanced by "apprentice hands." Any one acquainted with journalism must be aware _ the postage does not fall upon the proprietor of the newspaper, but on the subscriber — no journalist that has the confidence of his readers would for a moment, suppose that if one shilling a quarter for postage was added to a client's account, he would withdraw his patronage. It is true that the mail bags would cease to be filled with waste-paper publications, which are never read outside, the small districts in which they are published, but real newspapers would not be att'ected by the change in the postal system. It is a patent fact that the Postal Service of New Zealand is the most complete and the most unprofitable, — legitimate journals need not fear the effect which a penny tax will have upon them, but frankly acknowledge the necessity and justness of the charge for the carriage of newspapers proposed to be made.