The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1927 ALL FOR WELLINGTON

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 110, 30 July 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1927 ALL FOR WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON may be likened to a cormorant, which cannot gorge sufficiently to satisfy its rapacious appetite, despite the fact that it is fed without cessation. Its food is gathered from every part of the Dominion; but its capacity for absorbtion is immeasurable.

If anything is required for any section of the community anywhere, the requisition must go to Wellington. Do we require information in regard to our Government or institutions, we must apply to Wellington. Is any convenience needed, ask Wellington. It is a wonder that we are not compelled to journey to Wellington to buy a postage stamp. A few weeks back a train was stopped on the Main Trunk line, only a few miles from Auckland, through a tablet having been lost. There was a very long delay before it was permitted to start again. Inquiries elicited the information that authority to move on without the tablet had to be obtained—from Wellington ! If the Government owned the city tramways, there would needs be a signal from Wellington to start every tram from the foot of Queen Street. Members of Parliament, deputations, taxes and tribute, film censors, death duties, customs revenue and endless other things are all drawn to the inclement spot which was so unfortunately selected, in the days of man’s ignorance concerning the future of this country, to be the capital city. But the bloating of this centre of officialdom and boarding-houses continues. “Centralisation” is the watchword of Wellington. It has a lust for power that is unquenchable; into its capacious maw must be poured everything that is, and everything that is to be. Now the Government (which is Wellington) wants to usurp the powers and prerogatives of the University. To centralise and sectionise the proposed agricultural college at Palmerston North and get an unshakable grip of its administration, to the belittlement of the University authorities, it has cunningly devised a plan to place it in absolute command. It has framed an Act to name the college the Massey Agricultural College, and this Act contains a clause to enable the Government to transfer the land to the college authorities—and to revoke such transfer at any time it sees fit.

Thus will Wellington be able at any time to say to the college authorities: “Do as we tell you, or we will take away your lands and throw you out.” , . -A- s the Hon. George Fowlds, Chairman of the Auckland ! uiversify College Council, pointed out in his telegram to the I rime Minister yesterday, if any dispute took place between the Council and the Government of the day, the Council might find itself and staff, under the proposed section, deprived of any right of entry to its land and buildings by Order-in-Couneil these Orders-in-Council appear to be the very" bulk and buttress of Wellington when it wants anything that cannot be obtained by ordinary means.

This provision,” says Mr. Fowlds, “violates all principles ol educational freedom. No other educational institution in New Zealand or the British Empire is expected to carry on under such a precarious title to its property.” It should be suggested to the cormorant that it has quite sufficient, to go on with, and that if it continues to overdo its gorging it may be necessary to fasten a ring round its neck.