The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1950, 5 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1875.

Ir til the Provinces of New Zealand enjoyed the same measure of prosperity as Canterbury we should hear very little of abolition. The Superintendent of Canterbury has just called the Council together, and in his opening address he •' minutely reviewed the progress of the Province." He informed the Council that during the past year 90,000 additional acres of land had been brought under cultivation, and 53 additional miles of railway had been opened. There were at present nearly one hundred and thirteen miles of railway open, and within a few months there would be a total length of 209 miles open. Such are a few of the facts which the Superintendent of CanterBury had the gratification of communicating to his Council. It is no wonder if, under such circumstances, Provincialism has a Strong hold upon the people of the South, or that the Ministry hesitated to bring down resolutions for the abolition of all the Provinces last session. But the striking contrast presented by Canterbury *,to the state of impecuniosity under which Auckland labors we regard as the strongest argument in favor of the abolition principle. 1 f the Government of the country were so minded they could not put Auckland on a par with Canterbury as a province. If they entirely removed the Native difficulty, extinguished the Native title over all the land and handed it over unencumbered to the Provincial Government, it would take years of careful administration to raise Auckland to the status of Canterbury in regard to such material progress as the latter has made in the matter of railways and other public works. With a revenue of its own equal to half a million a year, Canterbury has been favored, with the expenditure of money from the loans much in excess of Auckland; which accounts in a great measure for the difference in her condition at the preient time. Auckland has in-

sufficient revenue to pay her way respectably aud provide the means of education and relieve the poor and distressed. . This is her misfortune. But as to whether it is the result of accident or design that so small a portion of the loans has been expended within her borders, opinions seem to differ. Perhaps these things will be explained next session of Parliament, when the question comes to be considered whether the Provinces shall be abolished or not. Total abolition is admittedly desirable, on condition that what is substituted shall be acceptable. But what might be considered acceptable, and even desirable in place of Provincialism in the North Island might be deemed objectionable in the South. It appears, therefore, that to remove the striking disparities and conditions under which Provincialism exists and do justice to North and South alike, something must be substituted which will find favor throughout the Colony. As long as Provincialism exists as at present, so long will the Provinces present such contrasts as that to which we have referred. They are a fruitful source of jealousy amongst the people, and instead of a prosperous Colony with a happy and united people, we have always the extremes of affluence and penury. One Province with an overflowing chest, and another with the balance continually on the wrong side of the ledger. If it can bo shown that abolition will remove these anomalies, we have no doubt abolition will be carried out.