LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT.

Southland Times, Issue 757, 2 December 1867, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT.

(From the Sottthland Times, Not. 25.) To those who have read with any degree of attention the debates at the recent meeting of the Assembly, Mr Moorehouse's speech on local self-government, delivered at the dinner given by the Licensed Victualler's Association of Christchurch, will present a remarkable instance of sudden conversion. In it he " out Herods Herod " throwing into the shade the programme of the Ministry he so ably and systematically opposed. The dismemberment of the province of which he is Superintendent, by the separation of Timaru, Gladstone, and "Westland, will probably furnish a cue to the alteration in his views regarding the advisability of continuing the provincial system, particularly under the present financial arrangements. No argument against the carrying out of an undertaking is so conclusive as the want of funds wherewith to do it, and Mr Mooehotjse like a wise man has adapted himself to circumstances. "While perfectly agreeing with him that the provincial system has accomplished its destiny, we cannot consider him as the apostle of a new creed, but rather the zealous, though perhaps unwilling convert, to one which has for years occupied the attention of some of the ablest politicians in New Zealand, and been strongly advocated by a large section of the press, ourselves amongst the rest. As is the case with most sudden conversions, his zeal has exceeded the propositions of the advocates of centralism ; he has boldly grappled with the question of a complete change in the existing form of Government. The establishment of district Road Boards and Municipalities is the policy of Mr Staitobd's G-overnment; the chairmen of both forming a Central Board in lieu of the present Provincial Councils, the chairman of which being substituted for the office of Superintendent, is new. It may be hardly fair to criticize too closely a scheme, only the outline of which has hitherto been sketched, the author of which states he has completed in all its parts, and will at no distant date propound at length. Still, the scheme must be built on certain premises, which from what transpired at the anniversary dinner of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, we cannot conclude to be sound. If, by the change proposed, a simplification in the form of Government, together with a diminution in the expenses of its conduct is sought, ■we do not think Mr Mooshouse's plan will furnish the desired result. It will be simply perpetuating, under a different name, the evils under which we presently labor. The proverb that "in a multitude of councillors there is wisdom," is doubtless true, but it is equally so that there is a great amount of squabbling to little purpose — further than the impediment of public business — the avoidance of which is evidently a part of his programme; we are inclined to think, however, that it will be found to be as rife in a Council or " Central Board" composed of the chairmen of the various Road Boards and Municipalities, as in the present Provincial Councils. If a radical change in the administration of the Provinces is required, let it be one in reality, not in semblance. Should the whole colony be divided into Counties or Shires, subdivided into Road districts and Municipalities, presided over by Boards and Corporations, we see no necessity for a Central Board. In Victoria where the above system has been in active operation, no such body as a Central Board has been found necessary. The Colonial Treasurer pays out of the consolidated revenue to each district board such sums as it is entitled to according to a fixed scale. And although New Zealand, having been started on a different basis, may require a somewhat different system, on the abolishment of the Provinces, still the divergence need not be very great. Mr Moorehouse is not unnaturally anxious to secure the land estate of the Province for its own use, and prevent the other Provinces from participating in the benefits derived from its sale, and concludes that the best mode of securing so desirable a result is by cutting up the Province into Road Boards districts, " and that the land revenue ought to be made the absolute property of these Eoad Boards." No provision, however, seems to be made for those districts where the land, having been already disposed of, the Hoad Boards will have merely the invidious task of assessing the holders of property, without receiving any assistance in the shape of subsidies from the sales of land. It must be remembered, however, that any change which may be effected in the distribution of the land fund, ought in justice, to have retrospective action, which would require to be exercised with care and impartiality. Ifc will not be enough to subsidize the districts out of a general fund according to the amount raised by local taxation, but some attention should be givea to ttie ratio which the past rsy^ftUQ 4§riYsd from, bears to the past*

expenditure in, each district ; and this will, we think, be better and more impartially done by au officer appointed by, and responsible to the General Government, than by a Central Board composed of the chairmen of the several Road Boards, who will naturally each seek to obtain as much out of the general fund for his own district, as the members of the present Provincial Councils, do now. As for securing to each Province as at present constituted, its land revenues under a new constitution, this can be effected on the passing of the Act. The balance of any funds derived irorn the sales of Waste Lands, after deductions due to the General Government for the conduct of those services which will be thrown on their hands, and the charges for the construction of general works throughout the county, might be placed to the account of a consolidated county fund, from which the subsidies to the various Road Boards would be paid in accordance with the principles above referred to. This fund could be more effectively and equitably administered by one executive officer appointed by the General Government, than by a body of men, who, if responsible at all in the true sense of the word, would be so to each district which has elected them, and who would consequently be inclined to narrow their views to its particular aggrandisement. Under such a scheme there will be no local legislation to distract the attention, and waste the time of the administrators of local affairs. Their duties would simply be confined to executive ones, and the manufacturing of byelaws suited to the necessities of each district. The larger requirements of the people, whether as an integral portion of the colony, or as a section of it, will be attended to by their Representatives in the General Assembly; on the choice of whom, and the members of the Municipal Corporations and Road Boards will depend, whether under the altered constitution, the people will not be more constitutionally, better, and more effectively represented than under the present hybrid system. Circumstances have forced on the minds of those open to conviction the necessity of a - radical change in the form of Government for this colony. There might have been at one time two alternatives open, either to declare the colony into five States or Provinces, free, independent, and sovereign within their own boundaries, exercising every power, jurisdiction, and right, so far as local matters were concerned, with a confederate government, similar to that of the United States ; or to divide the colony into counties, with liberal municipal institutions, having one strong General Government, legislating for and supervising the whole. The financial position of the various provinces, and the recent legislation of the Assembly, renders the first impracticable ; we can now, therefore, only fall back on the latter, and the sooner it is done the better.